‘Our movies last forever but sometimes all we got was ‘ice water money’ – Mikki Osei Berko

Renowned Ghanaian actor and producer Mikki Osei Berko has opened up on the struggles many veteran actors face in their later years, despite their significant contributions to the country’s entertainment industry.

Speaking in an interview with GhanaWeb’s Elsie Lamar on Talkertainment, he highlighted some of the challenges actors often face, citing inadequate financial rewards and a lack of industry policies to support them.

He lamented that despite the fame many of them enjoy, they still struggle to make ends meet on a daily basis and continue to face financial struggles in their later years.

“Inadequate rewards for the work that we do. People would have seen you on billboards, they would have seen you on TV programmes, but you have nothing to show. I always say that the best reward Ghanaian performers get is that, we are walking on the street and everyone is like ‘That’s him, that’s him,’ that is the best reward that we get.

“So, if there is nothing on your table or you don’t have any other form of skill to live by and grow with, and that is your only option, there is no way you are going to grow up wealthy or well-to-do,” he said.

Mikki Osei Berko, known for his significant contributions to Ghana’s film and television industry, criticised the meagre amounts sometimes offered for film roles, stating that he was once offered as little as GH¢1,000 to GH¢1,500.

“If you look at the work I’ve done and calculate the financial returns, it’s absurd. Even now, people ask me to perform in films and offer me GH¢1,000 to GH¢1,500.

People see a movie that will last forever, and all you got was ‘ice water money,’” he lamented.

He added, “When you go to other countries, performers are more respected than other professions. I always say that some actors in Hollywood can employ 20 or 30 doctors because they are well-paid. That’s because the industry values and appreciates the craft.

“But in our case, it’s more of a hobby. People do it because they love it, but they aren’t rewarded. Most of these people die as paupers.”

He called for the implementation of policies that would ensure fair compensation and create more opportunities for actors.

“If the system is really worked out and there’s policy in place, people will earn more and have more opportunities,” he asserted.

His comments come amid recent conversations about the need for better support for Ghanaian creatives.

ID/EB

Watch the full interview below: