Producers are exploiting desperate actors, actresses – Socrate Safo

Entertainment of Thursday, 20 February 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

2020-02-20

Over the past weeks, there have been many more revelations about producers not paying actors who work for them.

Movie producer and director, Socrate Safo, has also joined the ongoing discussion over producers not paying actors.

Socrate who himself is a movie producer said many of his colleagues are taking advantage of desperate actors, the reason for the increase in the number of unpaid actors.

“Some actors are desperate to act, so anybody at all can call them to come and work on their production…. a lot of them (actors) do not check the track records of these producers, what they have done in the past, their competence… they just jump in front of the camera to act,” he said on UTV’s United showbiz

He argued, contracts are not signed by these actors because of their desire to be in front of the camera at all cost, that is what allows producers to take undue advantage of the actors.

“Actors can report producers to Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG) when they suspect any foul play,” he said

Baclground

Veteran actor Kofi Ajorlolo opened the Pandora box when he complained bitterly about how seven producers in the movie industry owed him money for work he had done for them.

“Some of the producers in Ghana here, they should respect themselves…an old man like me, they call me to come and work and they can’t pay me…”

“About seven producers in this country owe me monies…why? And then I’m sitting at home, I’m hungry, and then when I’m sick too nobody pays attention…Look, we have elderly people lying down on their sickbeds and these producers owe them,” Adjorlolo said in his interview.

After this revelation, many actors and actresses came out to tell their own stories of how producers had taken advantage of them and refused to pay them for work done.

Actress Yonne Nelson as a confirmation of Kofi Ajorlolo’s claims also said in an interview that a producer gave her and another colleague a bounced cheque four years ago.

“See this thing is true, I even have a bounced cheque from 2016, I have kept it in my purse since 2016 because I knew I will need it someday,” she told Jessica on Traffic Avenue