They may not be able to say it straight as some of us do. Therefore, they will employ all sort of words to nicely put out what they actually intend to tell their readers…
An article published by Washington Post has called Ghanaian actress Yvonne Nelson a big ‘COW’. Do not be deceived by the ‘euphemisms’—we think that is exactly what the writer wanted to say about her absurd behaviour on set…
Why will any big production house want to work with you if your attitude at work stinks? Any big film-maker who comes across such reports about an actor/actress will think twice before hiring him/her—and that is opportunity going through the window
Remember what they say—‘a good name is better than riches’
Washington Post Writes;
A drop-dead beautiful Ghanaian actress is yelling at the director. Her voice — with that slightly British Ghanaian accent — echoes across the polished marble floors and bounces off the baby grand inside a Montgomery County mansion that has been turned into a movie set.
Cameras have stopped rolling. Actors lean against the bay windows overlooking the swimming pool.
“I’m human!” shouts the movie star, Yvonne Nelson. “I can complain if I want to complain. I am not a robot.”
“No one can tell me what to do on my set!” warns the director, John Uche, a Nigerian who lives in Upper Marlboro. “I’ve directed bigger actors than you.”
The actress spins and storms up a circular staircase, retreating to her bedroom lair and halting production.
This could be a disaster for this “Nollywood” movie. Filming has to be completed in three weeks.If the star quits, thousands of dollars are down the tube. The other actors — some of the biggest names in Africahave flown in from Nigeria and Ghana — will have wasted a trip. And the producer, Koby Maxwell, an award-winning Ghanaian musician turned moviemaker, will lose investors’ money.
Maxwell eyes the scene from the mansion’s kitchen, where he is peeling green plantains to boil for the cast’s dinner. Besides obtaining investors, writing the story, locking down actors and locations, and working with crew members on a major Nollywood production, he also has to cook supper.
As he rinses and slices, he tries not to show his worry. He has slept only two hours at a time in the past few weeks, worried about production, worried about accommodating actors, worried about filming on a shoestring budget. He cannot afford to lose this actress or this director. Everything is riding on “One Night in Vegas,” a movie Maxwell hopes will raise the bar on Nollywood production values.
The next three weeks will test his dream. While Hollywood dreamers wait to be discovered, Nollywood waits for no one.
Nollywood, the colloquial name used to describe the Nigerian film industry, is the second-biggest movie industry in the world in terms of number of movies made. The $500 million business churns out hundreds a year, second in film production behind India’s Bollywood. Hollywood comes in third.
According to a 2012 UNESCO survey, India produced 1,255 feature-length movies in 2011. Nigeria produced 997 movies in video format; and Hollywood produced 819films.
The hottest Nollywood actors earn as much as $10,000 per movie. Some earn $4,000 or $5,000. Some make more than 50 movies a year, rolling out productions one week after the next with a swiftness that would make a Hollywood actor’s head spin.
Nollywood has swept into Cameroon, the Caribbean and Ghana, which calls its industry Ghollywood. Now Nollywood actors and filmmakers have started making movies here. They call it Nollywood USA.
“We are trying to make the African filmmaking industry a force to be reckoned with worldwide,” said Majid Michel, a Ghanaian who is one of the most acclaimed actors in Africa. He recently traveled to Washington, New York and finally Philadelphia, where he received a humanitarian award from the city council for his contributions to Africa’s film industry and for building clean-water wells.
“Movies can connect people to places, and you see them in a different light,” says Michel, who calls himself “the Al Pacino of Africa.” He won the 2012 Africa Movie Academy Award for best actor. “It is almost spiritual for me what it does. …
“In high school, we had these guests from Sweden who said, ‘Before we got here, we heard you guys lived with monkeys and you play with lions.’ After watching” Nollywood movies, he says, “they were amazed at seeing mansions and first-class roads. … Our only weak point: We need to tell stories with better cameras and lights.”
Since 1962, when the first Nollywood movies were made, thousands of low-budget movies have been produced on cheap video CDs and distributed in Africa. Recently they’ve spread to the African diaspora in Europe and overseas.
Nollywood filmmakers, moving quickly to beat bootleggers, often sell movie rights directly to marketers who distribute copies to African stores or beauty shops for as little as $1.50. Shop owners in the states sell the movies for as much as $10 to Africans and increasingly African Americans, who find the plots of love, lust, greed, betrayal, black and white magic, and family dysfunction salaciously addictive.
Nollywood movies often play out epic themes of good overcoming evil, religious conflict and moral dilemmas. Bad guys often die, as they should. The princess is discovered in a village. The rich boy falls in love with the poor girl selling oranges on the side of the road, but his mother forbids the marriage. Despite a vindictive stepmother, the good son finally receives his inheritance from the chief.
why are our movies being categorised as nollywood KMT….this is annoying we keep getting sold
@sam quayson, cos nollywood markets ur movies internationally. Forget the name “ghollywood” it doesnt exist ourside ghana
@Our yansh, this is true. The truth is that they are not only producing on quantity the quality is actually getting better. As u said most Ghanaian english movies are directed by nigerians such as frank raja. Or pascal amanfo .
The movies we can really call Ghallywood (how i hate that name) are our Akan/Twi movies.
@Yahoozeee, why use the name if you hate it? That name needs to be changed to Ghana Film Industry of r whatever. Anything without “llywood” because that name is just not working for us. My only problem with Ghanaian movies is the fact that they use “chief”, “oga” and other Nigerian words or terms. It annoys me to no end. Can we not copy everything? When did Ghanaians start substituting “Mr” for “chief”, “master” or “sir” for “oga” and start saying “now” at the end of every sentence? Please, let’s maintain our Ghanaian identity in our movies and stop trying to be Nigerian.
@vince, I don’t think the name is that bad. I think the “llywood” stand for the fact that they follow Hollywood style of movie making so it kinda reference.
Right now the Ghanaian movie industry has to step up their game and make movies that other nationals can relate to and would be accepted worldwide and stop this concert party movies they are making.
Sometimes a good movie isn’t just about a good storyline, its about the cinematic styles too. I sometimes go on Youtube to look for Ghanaian movie to watch and the opening credit and music/sound alone put me off.
We have a very long way to go…
@Our yansh, yea, nollywood markets the movies. i heard they even change the title of some movies sometimes (like its their own) 😛
so yvonne wont ditch her dirty attitude?
Y.N sesa wo suban ooo. It’s not the first time am reading about your attitude, i wonder if you are ever going to change.
But where was the writer when this was going on? or was it someone on set that sold her out?
Shame on u Yvonne. If i ever spoke 2 my boss in that way i would Get my ass fired… U can easily be replaced!
@Khloe, why didn’t they fired her then and replaced her if she can easily be replaced as you think. People like you don’t know your worth as an employee and so you will put up with anything just because you are afraid you will be fired.
This is a problem of many Africans, especially Ghanaians. They would rather swallow their pain and kill themselves for their job all for the sake of good name.
You should rather be ashamed of chatting shit about her. kmt
@johjoh, first of all u must be unemployed and 2 let me explain something 2 u honey… Whenever i have a issue with my boss, i would take her or him 2 the side and have the “talk”. U dont put ppl on blast like that at ur work place, its unprofessional and tacky! It creates tension and an akward atmosphere… U need 2 wise up! I was born and raised in norway… And over here u treat everyone in the same manner that u want 2 be treated, whether its ur work place or not. So dont come with ur Ghanaian/African issues 2 me. U clearly dont know anything. If ur unhappy with something move on. The way she behaved was appalling. I know my worth. I simply hinted 2 the fact that her “attitude” could Get her fired. Shes an amazing actress with a shitty behaviour as showcased in this article. Next time understand the meaning, before responding.
@Khloe, I am a student and I have a part time job that I do. There is no way my manger or supervisor at work will treat me like shit, cos they respect their employee and know how much we are worth. If there is a problem, he will call me at his office and address the issue. As a worker I have my right and so if they treat me with disrespect I can also retaliate.
Who cares where you were born and where you live anyway. Leaving in Norway doesn’t mean you know better than I do. But if that is the case I was born in Ghana and raised in London. I school and work and I know work ethics.
Being a BOSS does not mean you should treat or talk anyhow to your employees and being an employee does not mean you should allow yourself to be taken for granted or put up with any nonsense.
Any good company where the Manager in charge doesn’t treat their employees with respect will probably be sack or ask to resign from their position. So like you stated, “u treat everyone in the same manner that u want 2 be treated” If the director had approach Yvonne and talked to her nicely, I don’t think she would have reacted the way she did.
We both don’t know what happened so why would you come here and depend on just what the writer wrote and cuss Yvonne.
So please spare me with your blah blah blah and your Norway shit cos you don’t make sense to me at all and besides I don’t need to have a job to know or understand work ethics.
I get the opportunity to do work experience on film set most of the times and directors and actors argument isn’t something new. It’s only in Ghana that its a crime for an actor to argue with a director.
Leave the girl alone. You guys talk as if you are any better.
Now am done with you, good bye.
@johjoh, u make no sense… Im entitled 2 share my opinion how ever i feel and i did. If u choose 2 reply go ahead.. Im over this, i stand 4 what i said! If u work with Movies or whatever good 4 u… But dont excuse bad attitude.. U werent there neither was I. But its clearly u dont know what ur responding 2… Loser
@Khloe, Well am entitled to my opinion just as u are. You stand for what you said so do I. Why you tripping anyway. Move on woman. Your hatred comment on Yvonne wouldn’t do you no good. Only Losers hate on people so now who is the BIG LOOSER here (you do the maths). Bye
@johjoh, this just shows how dumb u are .. My comment was not hateful, read it again..! U clearly need some reading glasses… Lmao
i am not a fun of Yvonne but hey, the fact that she behaved that way doesn’t mean she should be called a cow, we all behave in a certain way when things don’t happen the way we want it and it will not always be like that. Pls just leave them alone, when you become a public figure you’ll understand them. Accusations are hard to leave with. Just put yourself in her shoes then you’ll understand. (no insults, just think deep)
DAMN!!
Nonsense, so when there is a problem, you don’t want her to speak her mind. The director himself stated there was a lil misunderstanding so why would you come here and misinterpret what happened.
At the end of the day, they both moved on and did their job.
You think writing about this would make you a better person than her? absolutely NOT and it wouldn’t change the fact that she is love by many.
She might be disrespectful, rude or whatever you describe her but she is always getting roles. You disgusting ugly man always praying and looking for something negative to write about her.
Your ways are not God ways and so don’t think you writing shit about her will make her career go down the drain.
One thing I like about YN is that she is not afraid to stand for herself, if something isn’t right. At the end of the day, whatever went wrong that made her said or behave like that, we both don’t know. So who are you to criticize her.
Only haters and Losers will do that.
Sometimes it has to get ugly before it gets beautiful.For all we know she has encountered this problem with many directors and she is tired with that.Sometimes lashing out is gud to bring all those negatives energy out so that everything will be brought into perspective.The fact that someone is paying u does not mean u have to take crap day in day out.She also has her dignity
if really, all that Yvonne said is what has been captured up there in the story then i don’t see how she was called cow…besides, if she is being treated in a way that she doesnt like, shouldnt she say it? just because she will be paid? Come on guys, none of us was there so lets not be in a hurry to judge her actions…ok, maybe she could have said it in a better or respectful manner but everyone has a different temperament….
@Eaglebabe, I get what you’re saying and am quite indifferent of Yvonne to be honest BUT y these stories always of bad attitude with her? U don’t ever hear about this with others… I’m all for sticking up for yourself but didn’t this chick get banned for a year? Ppl forget that.
@Linda, its not bad attitude, its called standing up for your right. Most Ghanaian actors would rather keep quite and put up with all the nonsense. She won’t and that is something African directors can’t stand.
Do you think Yvonne Nelson would sign a film contract and go and dress at a car park for a movie. HELL NO! She will speak up and she would be branded disrespectful and rude. I don’t think even you yourself can put up with that but Jackie and Pusher kept quite and did it cos they don’t want to have any problem with the director or the producer or to be branded as such.
You have no idea what this African actors and actresses go through day in and day out. They are just coward to voice it out cos “they don’t want bad names.”
My question is, would you put up with any nonsense just because you are being paid to do something? To me its only someone who don’t know how much they are worth that will put up with anything.
And this girl wants to go where? HOLLYWOOD? Have you seen the big people like Shirley and Leila even work with her? No, because she cannot act and her attitude stinks. A village champion who has been deluded by Ghanaians to think she is a top actress when in fact we all know her actual talent and work (PROSTITUION).
Washington Post writing this about her is a doom for her in Hollywood. They have enough of stupid people like Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Brynes and others that they are struggling to get rid or deal with. Remember even these people are whites.
Halle Berry and the Kerry Washingtons do not even behave this way, else no one will hire their ass. With their good and submissive conduct, they are even struggling for roles.
Instead of seizing this great opportunity for GOOD publicity and freely sell yourself, you see what she has rather obtained?
Nkurasifoa will always be Nkurasifoa
@Titus, really! Have you been on set with this lady’s you are talking about. I bet you, the directors won’t even dare to bullshit them cos they have their rights too.
Don’t come here to chat shit about what you don’t understand. If there is any nkurasifo), that has to be you.
You calling someone prostitute? really! Did she do it with your Dad or yourself? or ever since she went into the game, your sister or mum can’t get customers? SMH
@johjoh, If these two ladies were behaving like divas on the set, trust me you will hear about it in the magazines, entertainment news and blogs, there must be some truth to this girl’s behavior, stop defending her and tell the truth, to change her attitude, washington post is not the daily enquirer if it wasnt witnessed they would not report it,
@la, which part of the story did it states that she was behaving like a diva on the set. From her comment, it could be that she was probably tired and needed a break. Which often happened alot of times on film set. But even if its not, whatever that happened, you and I wasn’t there. I am not defending her, she has her right as an actor and so if something isn’t right shes got every right to speak her mind.
She might not put it in the right way but that doesn’t make her a bad person as some of you think she is.
If Washington post wrote it, does that mean everything is true? Why didn’t they ask the director what actually happened before writing it. They only wrote what she did and said the director said it was a lil misunderstanding between them.
So before you also go on to bash her, you have to think that, something led her to speak or behave like that.
@Titus, plz stop it already,do you know how Halle Berry and the Kerry Washingtons behave on set? have you been on set with them before? how many times? just leave Yvonne alone!!! after all, it’s her life not yours…
Do U go on set with Halle Berry and the Kerry Washingtons hmm? You guys should let Yvonne be.
@watzup, this is exactly what I said to myself this morning. I have had the privilege to do work experience with a film production company and I can honestly tell you that directors don’t get it easy with some actors at all.
Its only in Africa especially in Ghana that an actor cannot argue with a director because they think they are the boss. To hell with that. Maybe if GC get the opportunity to be on a film set, then he will get to know what goes on.
@johjoh, Aww say it again!!! I am not condoning to rude behavior or bad attitude but has anyone being with Beyonce before a performance? or Rihanna or Halle Berry or Kerry Washington or Gabriel Union or Anne Hathaway or Angelina Jolie on set before? They demand the very best and do what they are comfortable with! Like someone said,Africans would rather “sit” on their pain and keep mute and be mistreated! The fact that someone knows how to stand for their rights doesn’t mean they have attitude problems….and Since when did “I will not be treated wrongly,i am not a robot,I am Human…” become synonymous with stinking attitude or being a “cow” as you put it? Or you would rather she cowered before the director and did his every whim on the set to her detriment? Dude please move on already! She is making her profit whilst you continue to churn meaningless article upon article about her!! Word!
@Q, hahaa, thank you. At least I know I am not the only person who think otherwise. Go Yvonne, let them know what you are worth off.
The Washington Post writer is very stupid..how he’s or she’s talking about Africa is ridiculously annoying to me..
@cici,at least they notice she is “drop dead beautiful ” lol
@cici, the write is balck and a woman too. As if she will put up with any nonsense at her work place.
I don’t blame her… the next minutes it will be the same writers who would go around writing about the mistreat of black women.
To quote a bit of Nicki Minaj; GC you can call Yvonne Nelson fake ,but her money ain’t fake,you can call her a cow but her fame is real! Just move on already 🙂
Am glad most pple here r seeing the picture. Most Africans don’t know how to stand up for themselves and confuse self confidence with arrogance. Some pple r comparing her with Hollywood actors, am sure there would never be a day u would wake up to hear those big names u mentioned changing in a car park of Wal-Mart or target while on set
Just let dis lady be.If she has a problem with the director why shdn’t she say it?Have u listened to her side of the story & even done further checks if dis story is entirely true?I didn’t even see anywhere in the article where she was referred to as a cow.She might have her faults like everyone but she’s certainly not a devil.Drop dis baseless hatred 4 her.
Seriously why do the media hates yvonne so much? What is so bad in her expression? Seriously koby maxwell advice u’r directors to treat actors with respect. A friend once told me how they scream at them as some elementary school kids. I don’t think Yvonne went wrong this time. Leave her alone baby girl don’t mind anyone.