Elaine Attoh
Ghanaian actress Elaine Attoh has acknowledged there is a challenge with the scriptwriting department of Ghana’s movie industry, as she revealed actors sometimes have to confer with directors to edit scripts on set before acting out their roles.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with NEWS-ONE, Elaine enumerated bad English language, non-challenging stories, among others, as some of the problems they have to put up with.
According to her, she personally rejected a script in the past because she wasn’t comfortable with it.
“Yes, I rejected a script because I like to challenge myself so if you give me a role that doesn’t challenge me I won’t take it. I think I don’t want to put myself out there in a discrediting way. If I don’t act well, it discredits me, the writer, the producer and the director. Maybe, some of them don’t realise how far that can go but it will discredit you. As a writer, you need to be dynamic too. Let the person read the script and say wow! So yes I have rejected a script before because I wasn’t challenged,” she said.
“Maybe the genre of the writing. Maybe the English itself. I have a friend who is so particular about the English language. I think it is a thing with us because I read English. We are so particular about it. Even if we make mistakes, we have to be corrected. Not everybody is very particular about their English language, but some of us are.”
Elaine Attoh is a bold, intelligent, confident, daring and passionate actress who is obviously good at the English language. She started acting from Kidafest days and did stage acting for about 13 years before joining the movie industry about eight years ago.
Among her movie credits are ‘A Sting In A Tale’ by Sparrow Production, ‘Adam Apples 1’, ‘Living With Trisha’ series, ‘Hidden Passion’, ‘Game of Roses’, ‘Tenant’, ‘Sins of Our Forefathers’, ‘Poison Bait’, Sunshine Avenue, among others.
She said stakeholders must take note of the language in the scriptwriting sector and act appropriately because it does not speak well of any good growing movie industry.
“Not every storyteller is a good playwright. No! I think that should be checked,” she said.
“Yes, language is one of the big challenges in the industry. It is. I know Majid Michel will reject a script if he has to reject. He will reject it because he can’t sell himself short. I know Adjetey Anang will also reject if he has to reject, I know Yvonne Okoro will reject it if she has to reject because they can’t sell themselves short. They won’t discredit themselves. You have to be diligent enough to read and say this is wrong. So if the person you are going to work with doesn’t accept it, opt out,” she said.
“Though I am not a writer, I think we also have say when it comes to the stories that we indulge in. I love the way Shirley Frimpong Manso portrays her stories. As a viewer, you will be thinking oh this how Shirley will end the story but no way. It will end the other way,” she added.
Elaine who grew up with her grandmother started education at St Jude’s Preparatory School and then to Ministry of Health Primary & JSS. She continued at the Presbyterian Senior High School at Osu and then to the University of Ghana, Legon, and finally Manifold Institute.
She believes acting is her passion. She doesn’t think quitting is the solution to the fact that she isn’t getting the attention she wants.
Elaine has played a number of minor roles in the past. But she thinks, “there is nothing like minor roles. If you are a dynamic actress, you don’t need the big thing. Yes the big roles you need them to sell yourself, but Mercy Johnson is still playing a maid role. The humble beginnings will make you humble yourself no matter the height you reach in life. For me no role is a minor.”
Elaine promised the industry to watch out for her. She is ever ready to challenge herself to achieving higher heights in the movie industry.
“If there is anything higher than Hollywood, I want to go there,” she concluded.
By Francis Addo (Twitter: @fdee50 Email: fdee500@yahoo.com)