Popular Kumawood actor, Akwasi Asamoah, aka Big Akwes has incurred the wrath of movie actresses for daring to claim that producers and other practitioners in the movie industry frequently sleep with actresses before casting them to play in their movies.
The claim has led the Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG) to ban Big Akwes from engaging in any filmmaking activity in the country for 24 months.
A statement signed by FIPAG General Secretary, James Aboagye, states that “FIPAG has sanctioned him for a period of twenty four months effective September 23, 2014. Any FIPAG member, Marketer or Distributor who engages his service as an actor or otherwise does so at his or her own risk”.
The statement said “Any film he is engaged in during this period will not be scheduled for release”.
A copy of the statement was sent to associations in the movie industry to ensure its members do not hire the services of the actor.
FIPAG put the two- year ban on the actor for allegations he made on RTV’s Agoro Fie that producers and directors and actors sleep with actresses before assigning them roles.
Speaking in Twi on the said radio discussion programme, Big Akwes said that the act of producers sleeping with actresses had been a common practice that even he, as an actor, has had his share and continues to enjoy that booty.
He went ahead to challenge any producer who claims not to have ever done so, to own up and take an oath.
Even before this ban by FIPAG, the Actresses Association of Ghana led by Kumawoodactress, Mercy Asiedu, had sent Big Akwes a letter asking him to retract his statement within three days or face court action.
Some individual actresses have also responded with indignation at Big Akwes’ claims that actresses normally sleep with movie producers in return for roles.
Actress, Nikki Samonas, for example, has confirmed that indeed some producers ask for sex before casting actresses in their movies.
She told Kwasi Aboagye during his Saturday Entertainment Review programme on Peace FM that, she had been confronted with such a demand before but she turned it down.
Another actress, Roselyn Ngissah, told Showbiz that she believes producers sleeping with actresses before giving them roles is an act of choice.
“I will not allow a producer to sleep with me but someone else would. Under no circumstances will I sleep with a producer before I am given a role. I personally believe that when you are good, the roles will come your way.”
Source: Graphic Online