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Personality Profile<br />
®<br />
MAGAZINE TALKS TO<br />
ACTRESS MARTHA ANKOMAH<br />
By: Pamela Ofori-Boateng<br />
n her salon at Tesano, one of Ghana's best actresses opens up about many years on the acting path, the highs and the lows of life and the<br />
Ibeauty of aspiring and making it.<br />
When I arrived at her salon she warmly welcomed me with a broad smile similar to the smile she portrays in her movies when she meets a new<br />
guy. "Good to see you" she says as she ushers me into a sitting area in the plush salon-Martha's Place Beauty Salon.<br />
Martha Ankomah was born and raised by Christian parents. Her mother was a Pentecost, whilst her dad who is late, was an Adventist so she<br />
started Sunday school very early. This instilled in her the fear of God at a tender age. She however, joined the International Central Gospel<br />
Church (ICGC) later in her life when she fell in love with Pastor Mensah Otabil's inspirational messages. Her mom became a single parent<br />
taking care of her and her two brothers while she was in Junior High School (JHS). By 14, she had joined a drama group and had started<br />
stage performances at the National Theater during the Fun world days.<br />
Late last year, she landed a contract to become the face of an international beverage brand, Vitamilk Viora. What strikes me most about her<br />
alluring personality is that she looks really calm unlike the "hard girl" nature she portrays in her movies. Throughout our interview she<br />
sounded very religious as she answered each question by rst talking about the grace of God.<br />
PAM: Can you take me through schools you have<br />
attended?<br />
MARTHA: I completed Adabraka Presbyterian Junior High<br />
School. Then I attended Labone Senior High School and<br />
nally Jayee University College where I did Marketing as<br />
a course.<br />
PAM: How did Acting start for you?<br />
MARTHA: I was introduced into acting by a cousin at a<br />
very tender age. This cousin of mine called Harry Amonoo<br />
took me to the National Theatre in 1994 there about<br />
where I joined the Harrisco Drama Group and started<br />
stage drama in Funworld and Kiddafest . When I went to<br />
Senior High School I also joined the Theatre Programme<br />
for Schools (TPS), where we were doing stage drama for<br />
Senior High Schools. After the stage drama, I started<br />
doing series like St. James Hotel, Where is your Mobile?<br />
All that glitters, Suncity and others. Acting became<br />
something that I was developing a passion for so whenever<br />
I heard of any auditions I go and try my luck.<br />
PAM: You were in the reality show Next Movie Star and<br />
you emerged the second runner up. How did you do it?<br />
MARTHA: It was just by the grace of God and my talent<br />
that helped me pull through. I was in my rst year in the<br />
university when I entered the reality show.<br />
PAM: Did Next Movie Star reality show catapult you to<br />
fame?<br />
MARTHA: Next Movie Star didn't do much for me but you<br />
get to meet different kinds of people and also learn from<br />
the directors who came to train us. When you come from<br />
Next Movie Star, It does not make you a star. You still have<br />
to go for auditions. That's what people don't realize. That<br />
because you have been on TV for 30 days you are there,<br />
forget it! It's just the grace of God.<br />
PAM: How was life for you and your siblings when your<br />
mother became a single parent?<br />
MARTHA: It wasn't easy. You have to help her (Mother).<br />
You just needed to be a good girl to help your mom-you<br />
have to be self-discipline so when she asks you to carry<br />
something on your head to go and sell, you don't have to<br />
shout or say you're shy. You just have to do it because you<br />
know you're helping your family. And me being the rst<br />
born I had no choice than to help and I thank God so much<br />
that I didn't go wayward- I didn't end up as a bad girl<br />
during those trying moments. I just realized that it was an<br />
opportunity to learn the hard way of life and it has really<br />
helped me, though it was difcult at the beginning but<br />
God being so good something good came out of it.<br />
PAM: Quite recently I have been seeing your commercials<br />
for Vitamilk Viora on TV and on bail boards across the<br />
country. How did you secure such a huge contract with an<br />
international brand?<br />
MARTHA: I got the contract through a friend who also<br />
introduced me to another friend who needed someone with<br />
13 www.mygong.net
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