Emelia Brobbey Slams 'English' Actors

Emelia Brobbey

Versatile actress has slammed comments often passed by some movie fans that actors who feature in local English movies are better than their colleagues who perform Twi.

'Every good actor should be able to act in any movie regardless of the language as long as you can speak it. So if you can speak Twi fluently but can only act in English language then it means you’re not that good”, she said.

According to her, actors in the country should challenge themselves to act roles in any movie that come their way, other than the prevailing phenomenon whereby some actors have opted to feature in only English movies.

Emelia, who has featured regularly in more Twi movies than English, made the comment to Graphic Showbiz last Saturday, in answer to a question how she is able to handle both Twi and English-speaking roles so well unlike many of her contemporaries.

“I won’t reject a script just because the language is Twi or English. As an actress, I need to be versatile and dynamic not say this is Twi so I won’t take it,” she said. 'As long as I'm comfortable with the script and the offer is good, why not?

'If I were not good why would producers of English language movies be chasing after me when they are very much aware I have featured in more Twi than English ones?', Emelia asked.

Emelia has featured in over 50 movies which are a mix of Twi and English. They include War of Roses, Tribal War, Wo Nyamesom Mpo Ni, Hidden Passions, Blackmail, No Apologies, Afunumu-ba, Aku Sika, Ama Ghana, Akua Agege, Sika Ye Abrantie, Obiyaa and Whose Fault.

Asked who inspired her into movies, Emelia revealed that Nana Ama Mac Brown indeed helped her a lot. “The movie industry was very challenging when I began in 2002. I nearly quit it but with the encouragement from her I stood firm,” she said. Apart from Nana Ama Mac Brown, Emelia said Grace Omaboe popularly known as Maame Dokono, had a lot of impact on her. 'A woman who could do politics and combine it with acting at the same time to me was incredible'. Emelia told Showbiz.

Emelia started acting in 2002 with the help of actor Daniel Adeleye who introduced her to Miracle Films Production for her first movie role in Tribal War. Despite the fact that the role was a minor one, she took it and it served as a stepping stone to bigger ones.

Emelia had two nominations in the 2010 Ghana Movie Awards for Best Actress in leading role (Local Language) and Most Favourite Actress categories alongside others such as Jackie Appiah, Yvonne Nelson, Nana Ama Mcbrown and Rose Mensah populary known as Kyeiwaa.

Besides acting Emelia has sterling teaching credentials. She trained and obtained a teacher's Certificate ‘A' at the Kibi Presbyterian Training College and taught at Obuasi JSS Complex, Martin Luther King School in Kumasi and Soul Clinic International School in Accra. She also holds a Diploma in Journalism from Manifold Tutorial College. Last year, Emelia completed a degree programme in Human Resource Management at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in Accra.

Emelia is married to Kennedy Owusu and has a son.