Ghanaian actress and film producer, Yvonne Nelson, has revealed that growing up, her dream was to become a rapper.
She reminisced about her high school days when she was part of a rap group.
“I wanted to be a rapper. Back in school, I used to rap a lot. We had a group like the Fugees, and I was the Lauryn Hill of the group. I loved Lauryn Hill.”
Yvonne Nelson
She mentioned that she could not contain her excitement whenever an entertainment event was approaching, as it provided her with the opportunity to showcase her rap talent.
However, her dream of becoming a rapper took a turn when she met Ghanaian filmmaker Abdul Salam, who introduced her to the movie industry, changing her life forever.
“Life happens. Destiny happens. I found myself in the entertainment industry because it was meant to be. I didn’t even audition for a role. Abdul Salam saw me at Afrikiko, spoke to me, took my number, and invited me to the set. That’s how everything started for me.”
Yvonne Nelson
This encounter, she said, led to her first major role in the movie ‘Princess Tyra’, which propelled her into the spotlight, making her a household name.
Despite her rise to fame, the actress disclosed that she faced challenges along the way, particularly juggling acting with her academic commitments as a Level 200 student at Central University.
The Ghanaian actress also reflected on one of her most difficult moments on set when working with seasoned Ghanaian actor Kofi Adjorlolo.
“There was one time I was filming with Kofi Adjorlolo, and he got angry that I was forgetting my lines; I wasn’t acting well. He stepped out. He was so furious and went like, change her, she can’t act. She is wasting our time.”
Yvonne Nelson
Rather than letting the criticism discourage her, she said she chose to learn from the experience. “I had to believe in myself, and I realised that acting is something that I should take seriously,” she said.
Although she didn’t become a rapper, the actress expressed that she is happy her journey still led her to a career in the entertainment industry.
How FIPAG Attempted to Sabotage Yvonne Nelson’s Career
The Ghanaian actress and movie producer opened up about the challenges she has faced in the film industry, revealing that the Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG) attempted to sabotage her career.
According to Yvonne, her outspoken nature and willingness to address issues within the industry led to her being banned by FIPAG.
“I was banned by a group of men in the industry. They call themselves FIPAG. Something happened on set, and they got together. When you are a woman and you are vocal, when you are unhappy with things around you and want to talk about them, people just don’t like that.
“They feel you just came into the industry. Why are you talking too much? Why are you complaining so much? That was what I faced because they felt like I complained about everything that I was unhappy about.”
Yvonne Nelson
Yvonne shared these insights, stating, “I believe in their minds, they wanted to intimidate, they wanted to end my dreams, they wanted to teach me a lesson, and they wanted to silence me as a young girl in the industry.”
Despite the ban, Yvonne Nelson found a silver lining and was inspired to start her production company, ‘YN Productions,’ with support from people like Kelvin Kobiri, who is now in ministry.
“I just decided that I can do my own thing. I can produce my own movies. Why don’t I try? So, I registered a company around that time, and I started producing my movies.
“I met a gentleman named Kelvin Kobiri. He is in ministry now. He believed in me just like Abdul Salam believed in me. He funded my first 2 to 3 movies.”
Yvonne Nelson
However, Yvonne also shared that she faced significant sabotage. She recalled how her first production was stolen.
“The first production got stolen after editing. Armed robbers entered the editor’s studio and stole all his drives. We lost everything we had shot. I believe it was sabotage.
“They knew Yvonne. We banned her; what is she doing again? She is producing, okay, we shall see. So, I felt that there was a lot of hate going on in the industry. Till date, I don’t know who did that, but it is obvious.”
Yvonne Nelson
Despite the setback, Yvonne and her team reshot the entire production at a significant cost. Reflecting on her journey, Yvonne admitted that her experience in the film industry had been far from easy.
“For me, I have been through a lot as an actor and producer. I have seen the industry; I have tasted the hate, the greatness, and the goodness. It can be a toxic place. If you are not strong enough, I don’t think you would last.”
Yvonne Nelson
READ ALSO: Yoon Suk Yeol Removed From Office
