Veteran Ghanaian actress, Janet Ackom, known for her roles in the famous ‘Obra’ TV series and Osofo Dadzie, recently shared her struggles of surviving without being paid during the early days of her acting career.
In an interview on Joy Prime’s Prime Morning with Roselyn Felli, Janet Ackom revealed that despite their popularity, the cast members of the ‘Obra’ series were not adequately compensated for their work. She recounted how they had to make do with little or no money and often had to wear the same clothes repeatedly due to financial constraints.
Despite the hardships, Janet Ackom never gave up on her passion for acting. She explained that acting was her only source of income at the time, and she continued to pursue her career despite the challenges.
Unlike her colleague Maame Dokono, who received gifts and properties for her contributions to the industry, Janet Ackom never received any such gestures of appreciation. To this day, she still relies on public transportation, known as ‘trotro’, for her daily commute.
‘Obra’ was a popular Ghanaian television drama series in the 1980s to 2000s, offering Ghanaians a mix of entertainment, drama, and life lessons. Janet Ackom joined the series in the 90s and became a well-known character for her impactful roles.
The series is still airing on GTV with some original and new cast members, although it has been paused for undisclosed reasons.
