I don’t blow my trumpet – Jackie Appiah

Jackie Appiah: I have been out of town. I went on a tour to meet up with my fans in the United States. I visited Hollywood, then got back to town after almost a month in there. I also went to Dublin to meet up with my fans. I returned to Ghana shortly. I am […]

Jackie Appiah: I have been out of town. I went on a tour to meet up with my fans in the United States. I visited Hollywood, then got back to town after almost a month in there. I also went to Dublin to meet up with my fans. I returned to Ghana shortly. I am still into movies, it is just that I have been quite busy. After returning to Ghana, the owners of UB Relaxer, Nouvelle Parfumerie Gandour took me to Turkey for sightseeing for being a good ambassador of their brand. I have been away for so long that, I missed my family and my son. So I couldn’t just leave them behind and travel again. I also had work waiting for me in Ghana. So basically that’s why I’m not in the news. I’m also shooting now.

Could you briefly describe your kind of person?

I’m an easy going person and I love to crack jokes. I smile to everybody. I never frown to anybody. I smile and welcome everybody. I am always happy and when you are happy you radiate happiness to every other person around you.

Many actresses aim at starring in Hollywood movies, are you one of them?

If God wants me to star in Hollywood movie, then no problem. I don’t mind being here in Ghana. All I want us to do are good productions. If you are shooting in Ghana and you are using the same kind of equipment they use in Hollywood, then I’m fine with that. I just want to be part of a good production which gets to the big screen. It’s not necessary going to Hollywood. It’s just at the end of the day, everybody will buy the movies and the movies can be viewed in theatres worldwide. That’s my ambition. It’s not basically Hollywood.

What do you have to say about the entertainment industry in Africa?

I just want us to get in a bigger scale and my wish is to get on a bigger scale as well. We are using good cameras now, good lighting, we have good equipment. I have noticed that most of our producers have started buying the types of lenses being used in Hollywood. We are on the right course and with time we will get there. I am impressed with what our producers and directors are doing.

You are into charity works, but not much of it is in the media, why?

I don’t feel like talking about it. Sometimes I don’t like blowing my own horn. It does not mean because I’m giving out some charity that I should alert the whole world. Charity is between you and your God; it is not for human beings to praise you. Most times yes, you can’t avoid some of these charity being reported, but sometimes I love to drive there and give them money without announcing it. I don’t like to announce it most of the times.

What do you consider before taking part in a movie?

I take several things into consideration before I accept a movie part. First, I must read the story and see what it entails before I can charge or accept to be part. Aside the story, I take into consideration the cast, the director, the costumier as well as the crew that I am going to work with. You have to know what you are going to do. You have to know the impact of what you are going to do. What if you charge peanuts and you are asked to step on glass, are you going to do it? After knowing who is going to direct the movie. The next question is who is going to costume the cast and who is going to edit the movie. Cast and crew also come into consideration, because I want a good movie to come out at the end of the day. You can have a good story, but a bad director and the movie won’t come out nice, so all of these have to be taken into considerations. If the movie meets all these criteria, then I’m in definitely for it.

The movie industry is a challenging one. What has been your secret to success in this terrain?

I will say first it has been God that has been my pillar so far in the industry. Then I will say my secret is dedication to acting and anything I am involved with. Being passionate about every movie I do has kept me this far despite the challenges.

You won ‘Best Pan African Actress 2011’ which took place in New York. How did you feel about the  award?

It felt great, though I was not at the award ceremony to receive it personally. I received a message from the organizers that I had won and they were going to send the award to me in Ghana. I was so excited when I heard the news that I had won an award in New York. I was at home when the message came in and I kept jumping and screaming and reading the message over and over again. It was sad that I could not make it to New York, because I already had other engagements to attend to here in Ghana. I had to be present for the premier of my movie ‘Death After Birth’ and also go to Lagos for the premiere too over there. For me, the award just like many others means a lot to my career. It shows that professionals from different sections of the movie industry appreciate what I am doing and this makes me feel great and honored.

You are a popular face in both the Nigerian and Ghanaian movie industry. Which do you prefer?

I would say the Nigerian industry has been very good; this is not to say that the Ghanaian industry isn’t trying, but if you look at the number of movies that come out of Nigeria, it is amazing. Most Nigerian movies almost always feature Ghanaian actors and actresses and we have come a long way in working with our Nigerian counterparts. Without both industries we wouldn’t be where we are today. Nigerians are wonderful people and I look forward to every visit in Nigeria.

You have starred in so many movies. What has been your most challenging cast so far?

I had had so many roles in movies, but I would say the most challenging and difficult one had to play the role of a sexually abused victim and prisoner which funny enough was in my film ‘Death After Birth’. It was really tough, but nothing good comes easy. I am glad that everyone seems to appreciate the movie and that makes me happy.

You have a tight schedule, so any last note for your fans?

I am really grateful for all their support and prayers, because without them I wouldn’t be where I am today and there wouldn’t be any Jackie Appiah. I will continue to need their support and prayers to take me through my career and they can be sure I would not disappoint them.