Veteran Ghanaian actress Belinda Naa Ode Oku, widely known as Adwoa Smart, has peeled back the curtain on the grim realities of life behind the scenes in Ghana’s entertainment world, revealing that decades of fame have not shielded her from deep financial hardship.
Despite rising to prominence in the early 2000s and starring in numerous hit productions, Adwoa Smart says her career has been marred by exploitation and false public perceptions. In an emotional interview with Kwaku Manu, she explained how many assume her fame equates to wealth, but the truth is far different.
“Where I stay is not good enough. When my siblings tell people we are related, they will be wondering if it’s true. Then they will start making assumptions that we are rich,” she said.
She went on to describe how many believe she lives a luxurious lifestyle in a gated community, adding, “Some people also think I live in a mansion at Trassaco. Some too think if it’s not Trassaco, then I live in the rich estates and living life. It’s never been easy for me.”
Beyond misjudgments about her wealth, Adwoa Smart pointed to deeper systemic issues plaguing the film industry, chief among them, the refusal of some producers to honor payment agreements.
“The fact that some producers wouldn’t want to pay after working for them. They would call you to come and shoot for them, then they will say they will pay after the shoot but they never pay,” she revealed.
Her frustrations didn’t stop there. She also highlighted how these practices continue even beyond the lives of actors.
“Even most of the actors who are late, the producers owe them. People will always see you on the screen but you don’t have money,” she added, exposing a culture of financial neglect that persists long after the cameras stop rolling.
Watch the interview below.
