Jackie Appiah
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Jackie Appiah (born 5 December 1983) is a
Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
-born
Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
ian actress. For her work as an actress, she has received several awards and nominations, including the awards for ''Best Actress in a Leading Role'' at the 2010
Africa Movie Academy Awards The Africa Movie Academy Awards is an annual entertainment award ceremony presented to recognize excellence among African and non-African professionals, who have contributed to the African film industry. The award was founded by Peace Anyiam-Osig ...
; and '' Best Actress in a Supporting Role'' at the
Africa Movie Academy Awards The Africa Movie Academy Awards is an annual entertainment award ceremony presented to recognize excellence among African and non-African professionals, who have contributed to the African film industry. The award was founded by Peace Anyiam-Osig ...
in 2007. She received two nominations for ''Best Actress in a Leading Role'' and ''Best Upcoming Actress'' at the
Africa Movie Academy Awards The Africa Movie Academy Awards is an annual entertainment award ceremony presented to recognize excellence among African and non-African professionals, who have contributed to the African film industry. The award was founded by Peace Anyiam-Osig ...
in 2008. Glitz Africa honored her with the Excellence in Creative Art Award at Ghana Women of the Year Honors 2023. She is a movie producer, fashion model and a humanitarian.


Early life

Jackie Appiah was born on 5 December 1983 to Kwabena Appiah in Toronto, Canada. She is the last of five children. Her paternal uncle was the Ghanaian statesman
Joe Appiah Joseph Emmanuel Appiah, MP ( ; 16 November 1918 – 8 July 1990)Eric Pace"Joe Appiah Is Dead; Ghanaian Politician And Ex-Envoy, 71" ''The New York Times'', July 12, 1990. was a Ghanaian lawyer, politician and statesman. Biography He was born ...
. She spent her early childhood in Canada, and moved to
Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
with her mother at the age of 10. She is popularly known by her maiden name, Appiah. Appiah married Peter Agyemang in 2005 and has one son.


Career

Ghanaian actress Jackie Appiah has enjoyed a prolific and acclaimed career in the Ghanaian and Nigerian film industries over the past two decades. Appiah began her acting career in the late 1990s, appearing in various Ghanaian television shows and movies. Her breakthrough role came in 2003 when she starred in the Ghanaian film "Princess Tyra," which brought her widespread recognition and cemented her status as a leading actress in West African cinema. Following the success of "Princess Tyra," Appiah went on to appear in numerous other Ghanaian and Nigerian films, further establishing herself as one of the most prominent and influential actresses in the region Alongside her acting work, Appiah has also been involved in various philanthropic initiatives, using her celebrity to support causes such as education and healthcare in Ghana. As a result, she has received numerous awards and accolades for both her contributions to the film industry and her humanitarian efforts. Appiah's appearance on screen became regular when she was invited by Edward Seddoh Junior, the writer of ''Things We Do For Love'', where she played the role of Enyonam Blagogee. She later took part in ''Tentacles'', ''Games People Play'', ''Sun-city'' and many other TV series. Appiah remembers herself as being very shy the first time she went on set: "It was a Venus Film Production titled ''Divine Love'' and I had to play the role of Kate, the
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
. I didn’t believe did too good. I fumbled but, many people did not notice it." Despite her nervousness, the first-timer said she succeeded in impressing everyone. Appiah says her best part was in ''Mummy’s Daughter'' by Venus Films. The film tells the story of the Bartels Family where she played the role of Princess, the daughter. "I loved how I acted, and I was happy with the role I played". Appiah now sees the local film industry as having changed for the better. She thinks that others will see its ultimate success. Jackie Appiah is widely regarded as one of the most successful and influential actresses to emerge from the Ghanaian and Nigerian film industries, with a career spanning over two decades.


Nollywood breakthrough and success

Appiah was already known to
Nollywood Nollywood, a portmanteau of Nigeria and Hollywood, is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry. The origin of the term goes back to the early 2000s, traced to an article in ''The New York Times''. Due to the history ...
through her many successful Ghanaian films including ''Beyoncé - The President Daughter'', ''Princess Tyra'', ''Passion of the Soul'', ''Pretty Queen'', ''The Prince's Bride'', ''The King is Mine ''and ''The Perfect Picture''. Her notable
Nollywood Nollywood, a portmanteau of Nigeria and Hollywood, is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry. The origin of the term goes back to the early 2000s, traced to an article in ''The New York Times''. Due to the history ...
films include ''Black Soul'' and ''Bitter Blessing'', alongside
Nollywood Nollywood, a portmanteau of Nigeria and Hollywood, is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry. The origin of the term goes back to the early 2000s, traced to an article in ''The New York Times''. Due to the history ...
actor
Ramsey Nouah Ramsey Nouah (born Ramsey Tokunbo Nouah Jr.; 19 December 1970) is a Nigerian actor and director. He won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 2010 for his performance in the movie '' The Figurine''. He made his direc ...
and ''My Last Wedding,'' alongside Nollywood actor Emeka Ike. In 2013, she won the Best International Actress award at the ''Papyrus Magazine'' Screen Actors Awards (PAMSAA) 2013. which was held in
Abuja Abuja (; , ) is the capital city of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, strategically situated at the geographic midpoint of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria), Federal Capital Territory (FCT). As the seat of the Federal G ...
, Nigeria.


Promotional work

Appiah's face can be seen on many
billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
s and TV
commercials A television advertisement (also called a commercial, spot, break, advert, or ad) is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization. It conveys a message promoting, and aiming to market, a product, service or idea. ...
in Ghana including a GSMF advert on protection against
HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...
/AIDS. She won the face of U.B in a promotion she did for them on TV commercials and she is currently the face of IPMC for commercials and billboards. "GSMF " was her first TV commercial.


Personal life

Jackie married Peter Agyemang in 2005 with whom she had one son, Damien Agyemang. They divorced after three years. It was rumored in 2020 that Jackie Appiah got pregnant from
Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...
n president,
George Weah George Manneh Oppong Weah (born 1 October 1966) is a Liberian politician and former professional Association football, footballer who served as the 25th president of Liberia from 2018 to 2024. Before his election for the presidency, Weah served ...
, though she dismissed the rumor on her
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page, stating: "Laughter that dispels lies and fabricated stories."


Filmography


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Appiah, Jackie 1983 births Living people 21st-century Ghanaian actresses Actresses from Toronto Best Actress Africa Movie Academy Award winners Best Supporting Actress Africa Movie Academy Award winners Canadian people of Ghanaian descent Ghanaian film actresses University of Ghana alumni