by Kofi Duah
For most actors all over the world, one particular film does it for them by propelling them into the limelight and making them stars.
In Ghana for instance, it was Princess Tyra for Yvonne Nelson, Beyonce for Nadia Buari, Madam Moke for Nana Ama McBrown, Kyeiwaa for Rose Mensah and Asoreba for Mercy Asiedu.
It is, therefore, not surprising upcoming actress, Shirley Emma Tibilla hopes to breakthrough with Shampaign, a film directed by Shirley Frimpong Manso of Sparrow Productions.
Shirley who plays the wife of a president in Shampaign, believes she has what it takes to become a star and that in the next five years, she wants to see herself as one of the A-list actresses trending in Hollywood.
“I am beautiful, talented and ready to take up any role by any movie producer. Apart from the many plays I featured in at the University of Ghana, Legon, I have been practising on my own on how to play different roles and I believe I am ready for any task.
“It is difficult for local actors to make it in Hollywood but I know I will get there in five years time. The fact that Shirley Frimpong
Manso picked me out of the many who auditioned for her movie should tell anyone how good I am. I am telling every Ghanaian to watch out for me,” she said
The pretty actress who has Akosua Busia and Ama Anima Misa Amoah as her favourite actresses said, she also has plans of adding TV and radio presenting to her acting career.
Shirley who was once a banker explained that she just had to ditch ‘dealing’ with notes and coins and make a dash for the silver screens because she has always had the passion for acting.
“Although I worked at Intercontinental Bank for several years, I always had the desire to be an actress and I thank God I have finally landed my first role in Shirley’s movie. Not many actresses get the opportunity to work with Shirley but I am glad I did” , she said.
Narrating her experience at the Shampaign audition, Shirley said in as much as she was happy to have been called, she recalled some kind of fear began to creep in when she got to the venue.
“I was nervous but I knew I had to kill it. I knew I had to put in more because Shirley is a great producer and I did not know what she expected of me.
“Although I was scared I was not going to be picked at the end, I was surprisingly convinced I was the right person for the job because I played my role well,” she added.
Touching on some of her challenges in the make believe industry, Shirley, “It is time movie producers see acting as an actor’s job hence, the need to pay us well. Most of our actors here are not paid well and that is not encouraging”, she added.
Shirley thinks the government of Ghana should pump money and logistics into the movie industry. “ I know our producers can come out with better products if they were well resourced financially and logistically. Most of them come out with sub standard movies because they don’t have the funds to churn out quality ones”, she said.
In addition to lack of funds, she believes the Ghanaian movie industry is not doing too well because movie producers keep casting the same old faces. “Movie producers need to give new actors the chance to exhibit their talents. This will make the industry vibrant, afterall they say, variety is the spice of life”, she said.
Delving into her love life, the native of Bawku in the Upper West Region said she is engaged and any man who wants to propose should look elsewhere.
To read the full piece from Graphic Online, click here.