You Can’t Build A House In East Legon On An Actor’s Meagre Salary- Ekow Smith Asante

Ghanaian actor and film producer Ekow Smith Asante says it’s difficult for Ghanaian actors to build apartments in prime areas like East Legon due to their small income.

The award-winning actor noted that actors and actresses who stay in luxurious residential areas often depend on favours and gifts from loved ones.

“I think building a house in East Legon would be difficult. It is very dicey because actors and actresses, for instance, get favours,” Ekow Smith noted in an interview on Kingdom FM.

Addressing what he described as a misconception about the lavish lifestyles of celebrities, especially those in the movie industry, he said they are usually sponsored.

“Somebody can give me something because of my particular role in a movie. With gifts from people, it can support you to build, but I think it will take a very long time without it. How much are you paid, Ghc10, 000, Ghc20, 000, Ghc30, 000 or what? ” he quizzed.

The renowned actor also alleged that most of his colleagues in the preliminary days in the movie industry couldn’t invest much because of the scanty salaries they were being paid.

Poor remuneration of actors led to most of them venturing into other businesses whilst others travelled abroad to seek greener pastures.

Ekow Smith, currently residing in the United Kingdom, joined a list of industry veterans, including Mikky Osei Berko, Fred Amugi, Mama Jane, and Pascaline Edwards, who have openly acknowledged the lack of financial rewards in the Ghanaian acting industry.

He was one of the actors in Latif Abubakar’s latest stage play, “Life is a Dream”, sponsored by the Spanish Embassy.