Ghanaian actors are largely out of work, according to the President of the Ghana Actors Guild, Samuel Fiscian.
“Right now, the average actor is unemployed… The majority of our members have no jobs,” he said in an interview with 3News on Tuesday.
He made these remarks when executives of the Guild paid a courtesy visit to the newly appointed Chief Executive of Media General Group – owners of TV3, 3FM, Onua FM, Connect FM, Akoma FM, and APL Productions – Mrs. Pearl Esua-Mensah, to congratulate her on her new role.
Although Mr. Fiscian did not provide exact figures, he attributed the widespread unemployment among actors to a significant decline in film production, largely caused by a drop in the sale and patronage of local movies.
He explained that poor demand for locally produced films has pushed production houses to halt their activities, severely affecting Ghanaian actors.
“Productions are rare these days. Even the few that are ongoing involve only a small number of actors, usually those who have already reached a certain level,” he stated.
Fiscian further noted that the influx of foreign content, especially those heavily featured on television, has contributed to the shrinking audience for local productions. He admitted that Ghanaians’ tastes have also shifted.
He emphasized that these challenges highlight an urgent need for local industry players to improve the quality of their work in order to remain competitive.
