Grace Nortey Dies: Full List of Veteran Actress's Top Movies Emerges

• Veteran Ghanaian actress Grace Nortey has died at the age of 89, leaving behind a career that spanned more than five decades in film, television and theatre
• She featured in several memorable Ghanaian productions, including Juju, Sinking Sands, Ties That Bind, Expectations and Who Killed Nancy?
• Nortey also appeared in the internationally acclaimed Netflix film Beasts of No Nation, sharing the screen with Idris Elba and Abraham Attah

Following the death of veteran Ghanaian actress Grace Nortey, a list of her top movies has emerged, capturing the range of her decades-long career.

Grace Nortey, who was known on both the local and international stage, starred in several productions across theatre, television, and film throughout her lifetime.

News of her passing emerged on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, after she died at the University of Ghana Medical Centre.

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She had celebrated her 89th birthday just months earlier, on February 1, 2026, having spent more than five decades shaping Ghana's entertainment industry.

Grace Nortey's local movie career

Nortey's major screen debut came in the 1986 comic film "Juju," produced by King Ampaw and Peter Wohlgemuth-Reinery, in which she played the wife of veteran actor Joe Eyison.

She went on to build an extensive local filmography, becoming known for portraying strong-willed, outspoken matriarchs who challenged patriarchy and social injustice on screen.

Her notable Ghanaian productions include "Nana Akoto," "The Other Side of the Rich," "Escape to Love," "Matters of the Heart," "Who Killed Nancy?," "Expectations," "Jewels," and "Ties That Bind." She also earned recognition for her role as Grandma in the acclaimed 2011 drama "Sinking Sands."

Beyond film, she was a familiar face on Ghanaian television through productions such as Obra, Osofo Dadzie, Key Soap Concert Party, and Thursday Theatre, and earned the popular nickname "Maame Gyata" for the commanding characters she brought to life.

The Facebook post on Grace Nortey's death is below.

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Grace Nortey's international collaborations

Nortey's career also extended into internationally acclaimed productions, most notably the 2015 Netflix war drama "Beasts of No Nation," directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and starring Idris Elba and Abraham Attah.

She played the Old Witch Woman in the film, which was shot entirely in Ghana and went on to receive widespread international recognition, introducing her work to global audiences well beyond the country's borders.

The role stood as one of the clearest markers of her range as a performer, showing she could hold her own alongside major international names late into her career.

John Mahama's past visit to Grace Nortey resurfaces

According to an earlier report by YEN.com.gh, footage and photos of former President John Mahama's 2022 visit to Grace Nortey at her Accra residence have resurfaced following news of her death.

The visit, which saw Mahama spend time with the actress and her family, was widely praised at the time as a reflection of his consistent support for veteran Ghanaian entertainers facing old age and declining health.

Source: YEN.com.gh