Over the last few years, an emerging trend within the Ghanaian movie industry has been the explicit use of light- skinned actors, over those of with a dark- skinned complexion. The majority of recently released Ghollywood films have featured actors and actresses with light complexions in the leading roles, regardless of their acting credentials, and experience.
The desire to feature light-skinned actresses and actors in leading roles is a misleading reflection of Ghanaian society; as a West African nation, the majority of Ghanaians are dark skinned. However, due to the dominating appearances of light complexioned actors and actresses in Ghollywood movies, the assumption could be made that perhaps 70% of the Ghanaian population is either light-skinned or mixed race.
Although ‘light’ is seen as more beautiful, an influx of darker skinned actors and actresses are now beginning to step to the forefront of the limelight, and take their positions as leading men and ladies. Take Jackie Appiah for example, frequently cast in a supporting role opposite the lighter Nadia Buari, Ms Appiah- Africa’s newly crowned Best Actress- has stepped her game up tremendously to show that skin colour does not determine skills.
Unfortunately, the pressures of the industry are high, leading some actors and actresses to succumb to the pressures of bleaching. Henceforth, it is because of such industry pressure that actresses like Jackie, Genevieve Nnnaji, and Lydia Forson should be congratulated on holding their own to show off their natural, dark-skinned complexions.
By: Regina Sackey Addo/ GhanaCelebrities.Com/United Kingdom
i know that most darker skinned people are prettier than the lighter skinned one’s. light is beautiful but dark is more beautiful than the light, i bet if some of these light skinned actors and actresses were dark, they woul be uglyer than the dark ugly one’s and it’s realy not fair for ghana movie producers to choose the light skinned guys to do all the acting even if they don’t know how to act. i love lydia forson and jackie soooooooo much, keep it up guys.
mr writter stop casting shadows on nadia and van all the time ,afterall their works are awarded in diverse ways .this jackies syndrone is silly if you should ask me,aba.why dont you tell us also that JACKIE DUPED a nigerian producer?hmm.please this is no news and not needed ,has VAN not received awards?has NADIA also not received awards?please please,and please grow up and stop this jackies award and skin thing.
JACKIE Duped a Nigerian producer! I want to hear more Kofi, what happened? Lol. Btw I think ur acting should speak for u instead of ur color, Van V maybe light but his acting is horrible prefer Majid whos light also but very good.
@ Ms Dior. I hear that.As sexy as Van Vicker is he really isnt that much of an actor- he seems too robotic to me
lmao@Kofi…..Eiii Jackie duped a nigerian producer???…Gosh, i want to hear more..lol….How??? As3m oooooo
miss dior ,and shocker its from a source and ghanaian movie .com.
go to ghanain movie .com
van V is a horrible actor for real. I dont like his movies one bite. majid is very a good actor.
CEO of Venus Film Production, Abdul Salam Mumuni brought out Van Vicker and made him big after casting him in Beyonce. Van Vicker is a handsome man but he should stick to being a TV presenter or a model because he’s simply not an actor. When Ms Genevieve Nnaji said he cannot act after shooting Rivers of Tears….I thought it would have change his acting skills and after he finishened his acting class but he’s still the same. Van Vicker does not know how to interprate his character at all. I think he’s cast in most movies becasue of his looks but Ghanaians and Nigerians should know that looks is not acting, being beautiful or handsome does not make one an actor. Another example is Juliet Ibrahim……….she’s simply the worst actress ever……her acting is dreadful and attrocious. Jackie Appiah has improve tremendorsly since Divine Love.
Truth be told… light skinned actors/actresses have an upper hand due to their shade of skin color than darker skinned counterparts.
Van acts as though he’s reading off of a telepropter…ugh, bothersome to watch sometimes. I don’t think someone’s skin color should matter anywhere in entertainment but in reality it does almost everywhere. It stands out even more to african viewers when, as the writer mentioned, most of ghana’s citizens are darker skinned.
FINALLY!!! someone has said what i have been noticing since i started watching ghollywood movies.
and before i get those “stop hating cause you’re dark, blah blah” comments, im actually light skinned.
but it really saddens me that all the ones getting the shine and can’t act are always light skinned or biracial. “Although ‘light’ is seen as more beautiful,” can you believe they are even admitting it? jackie and yvonne nelson / okoro are the only dark skinned people most can’t remember by name. although recently (within the last 3-4 months) it has gotten better. its becoming more and more diverse. but still the only one i would rate as a good actor is majid. the guy is great! but as for the others that are light skinned with no talent. na wa! ghanaians only want to see “pretty people” the industry feeds off of the inferiority complex of the industry. its a well known fact people are only watching and winning awards just because they “look good” and not because of their acting skills. REAL TALK! Van, Nadia, Julet…ALL ARE TERRIBLE!
and its sad that the industry isn’t even 50/50 its more like 70/30
i meant to say “can” remember by name. lol
well van you are handsome.people its not all about the color of your skin but its the beauty that lies on you and the amount of effort you put into your work and what you love doing .word of advise do not bleach your skin just because you want a job in acting but let your talent and love show in your performance.
@genevieve
well that is obviously getting nowhere. and besides, there are a LOT of sexy chocolate people in ghana as well. why are we only seeing one kind of “beauty”. i doubt that is a good enough excuse.
and what talent are you talking about? van, nadia, and juliet ibrahim have made it as far as they have with no talent. so talent is not a heavy factor in ghollywood. i think its 70% looks which determines how marketable you are.
hmmm i heard that, juliet ibrahim said she is ghana beyonce because she is fair like her and she google her and make the same dress beyonce wears.
i think she can sew some of her dress and put it on. but she should stop fooling herself thinking that she is beyonce. hmmmmmmmm ghana celebrities back up.
btw, i don’t even know why Genevieve is being mentioned here. it may be hard in Ghana to be dark and get casted in movies, but its not hard in nollywood.
nollywood doesn’t have that issue. you will see it is VERY diverse and see all types of skin tones.
i really feel sad for the people that can’t get a role because of their skin, and its 2010? sigh…
Dat juliet is jux prettyface. finish! apart from dat she cant act notin. I jux hate da way she acts. It jux annoyin. Pls ppl dont say i hate her, i dont, she has no actn skills.
this is never true is not about color my friend.. Jackie has been reward greatly in the movie industry and i don’t see her been light skinned…
wo says van is not gud.y is he in mst movies.color doesnt count
YES BLACK IS INDEED BEAUTIFUL. BE YOURSELF AND BE PROUD BEING AN AFRICAN, BIG UPS TO LYDIA FORSON, MARTHA ANKOMAH, MY JACKIE, MERCY JOHNSON – GIRLS KEEP MAINTAINING YOUR BLACK-BEAUTINESS