John Apea: Home Sweet Home Series Actor Speaks About The Ghanaian Movie Industry

• Ghanaian actor John Apea, in a recent interview, spoke about the current state of the local creative art industry
• The Home Sweet Home TV series actor said there were no structures in place to ensure the film sector grew
• John Apea noted that he considered the Ghanaian movie industry 'dead' and had stopped watching local films
• YEN.com.gh spoke to entertainment analyst Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh on the issues facing the Ghanaian creative art industry

Former Home Sweet Home TV series actor John Apea has weighed in on the conversation around the current state of the Ghanaian movie industry.

In a recent interview, the former movie star opened up about his transition from the acting business to the corporate world many years ago. He noted that there had been a lack of respect for the creative arts industry for a very long time.

Highlighting the problems facing the movie industry, John Apea said there were no current structures in place to ensure the growth of the movie industry and support the actors who struggled later in their lives.

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He said:

"It has been a life-changing experience for me because I think from my time on TV, I learnt so much. The creative art is not given the respect that it should be. I worked with some of the greatest actors like Kofi Bucknor of Blessed Memory, Kojo Dadson and Psalm Adjeteyfio. We had phenomenal actors who unfortunately were born in a continent or a country where we did not have the right structures in place to support them."

The Home Sweet Home TV series actor recounted how the Ghanaian movie industry used to have the best structures in the past which elevated actors and gave them massive financial stability.

John Apea noted that due to the lack of respect shown to the industry, many actors consider the movie-making business as a 'hobby' instead of a lucrative career.

The former actor said he expected to see necessary changes and proper structures put in place to make the Ghanaian creative industry vibrant again and help young creatives thrive via their crafts.

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John Apea noted that he considered the Ghanaian movie industry 'dead' at the moment. According to him, he had not watched a Ghanaian-produced movie in a very long time.

He dismissed the notion that the movie industry had declined due to the lucrative Nigerian industry, which has poached a lot of Ghanaian actors from the local scene in recent years.

John Apea also explained the difference between the Ghanaian and Nigerian movie industries. He also highlighted some reasons behind the Nollywood movie industry's massive growth over the years.

John Apea's movie acting career and hiatus

John Apea rose to prominence in the 2000s after featuring in the popular Ghanaian TV sitcom, Home Sweet Home as one of the lead characters alongside the late Kojo Dadson, Rama Brew, Evelyn Addo, Kobi Rana and many veteran actors.

In 2008, he also starred in the high-profile movie, Run Baby Run, which won four awards at the 2008 edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards.

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John Apea later exited the movie industry and relocated abroad, where he achieved success in the academia in the United Kingdom.

He is currently the Ghana Head of Mission for the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) and the Chief Executive Officer of the Fintech organisation, eTranzact.

Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh on creative industry's issues

Speaking to YEN.com.gh, entertainment analyst Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh shared his thoughts on the issues facing the creative art industry in Ghana.

He said:

" I agree with him on the lack of structures being a major issue but the creatives shouldn’t be waiting for others to build the structures when they can come together and build it."

Watch the video below:

Don Little recounts journey in movie industry

In another report by YEN.com.gh, Don Little recounted his journey in the Ghanaian movie industry during an appearance on Onua Showtime.

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The celebrated comic actor noted that he began his acting career in 2007 and had risen to become a household name in the film industry.

Don Little also highlighted some of the challenges he and many of his colleagues were still encountering in the Ghanaian movie industry.

Source: YEN.com.gh