Ghanaian actor Van Vicker has rebuked seasoned movie producer Abdul Salam for allegedly refusing to pay off several actors after engaging them in his movie projects.

He told Nana Romeo in an interview on Okay FM, that, he still carries the pain from Abdul Salam's actions and has called on filmmakers to end the exploitation of actors.

"Salam owes a lot of people, and I hear all these stories, and I am grieved because a seasoned producer... It is not fair to have actors work, and we don't get what they are worth," he stated.

He further explained that Mr. Salam expressed interest in working with him, and they shot a series in 2015. It has been 10 years and he is yet to receive the payment for his services.

Van Vicker’s concerns add to the growing complaints that Ghanaian actors and actresses are underpaid, earning very little from acting despite their fame.

Award-winning Ghanaian actress, Pascaline Edwards has said that her colleagues who claim to have earned a great deal of money from just acting are telling lies.

In a media engagement on Onua Fm, the 53-year-old actress-turned-fashion designer said the movie industry alone as a stream of income would not be able to provide anyone with the requisite resources to build a house or start a business.

“Whoever in the industry says they’ve made a fortune from making movies is a liar,” she said.

Pascaline Edwards also mentioned that acting was a passion-driven job and could propel you to celebrity status.

“The movie industry propels you to a certain level. It gives you a brand. You may get Brand Ambassadorial deals and endorsement which can be lucrative but the income from the movies and set is inadequate,” she pointed out.

She also admonished the youth and upcoming actors not to rely entirely on the funds they receive from movies but to venture into other profitable businesses.

“If you have to sell groundnut and maize as your regular day job do that and add the acting as your side hustle because it’s really a hand-to-mouth industry,” she said

“GBC still owes me 5000 cedis old currency, which is now about 50 pesewas in the new Ghana currency,” Edwards who has had a career spanning over 30 years said, also citing the failure of production houses and filmmakers to pay them their wages.

Pascaline Edwards was Ghana’s Best Female Actress in 2002 and is celebrated as an iconic actress who played several diva roles in her prime. She has acted in over a hundred movies and a number of stage productions.

Ghanaian music icon Samini has opened up about why he prefers music over acting, citing the significant pay disparity between the two industries. According to him, acting is a physically and financially draining profession, yet actors in Ghana are not compensated fairly for their efforts compared to musicians.

Speaking on a podcast, Samini explained that while he has dabbled in acting, he finds the financial returns unimpressive.

He revealed that top musicians can earn between GHS 150,000 and GHS 250,000 for a single full-band live performance, with even lesser-known artists making between GHS 15,000 and GHS 20,000 for a 30-minute set in Accra.

However, the situation is entirely different for actors, who often spend weeks on set but earn significantly less.

Samini disclosed that even A-list actors struggle to secure GHS 10,000 to GHS 25,000 for an entire movie project, which could take up to three weeks of filming.

He pointed out that some of the biggest names in the industry might push for GHS 20,000 or GHS 25,000, but that largely depends on the production house hiring them.

Meanwhile, lesser-known actors reportedly earn as little as GHS 2,000 for weeks of work—an amount far below what musicians make for just a few songs on stage.

“It’s crazy when you think about it,” Samini said. “A musician can go on stage for 30 minutes and earn GHS 15,000, while an actor spends weeks filming and barely makes that. Something has to be done about it.”

As an advocate for fair pay, Samini called for the introduction of a standardized salary structure for actors, similar to what exists in the music industry.

He proposed that A-list actors should not be paid below GHS 50,000 per movie, B-list actors should earn at least GHS 30,000, and no mainstream actor should be paid less than GHS 15,000 per role.

“If for nothing at all, there should be some form of regulation so that actors are fairly compensated,” he emphasized.

Samini believes that a structured pay system would not only improve the livelihoods of actors but also enhance the quality of Ghanaian films. He urged producers and industry stakeholders to re-evaluate their compensation structures to ensure actors receive what they truly deserve.

His comments have reignited discussions about the financial realities of acting in Ghana and whether reforms are needed to bridge the pay gap between musicians and actors.

Popular Kumawood actor and filmmaker Kwadwo Nkansah, known in the entertainment industry as LilWin, has also opened up about the financial struggles of Ghana’s film industry, revealing that many filmmakers are forced to fund their own productions due to a lack of investors.

In an interview with Graphic Showbiz, LilWin emphasized that the film sector is grappling with financial constraints, which has left actors and producers with no choice but to invest their own resources to keep the industry alive.

"At the moment, our industry is struggling mainly due to a lack of investment. This has forced some of us to finance our own film productions," he stated.

Despite these challenges, LilWin encouraged his colleagues to take control of their careers by exploring filmmaking and directing rather than relying solely on acting opportunities.

"I encourage my colleagues to take action because you can’t sit idle, waiting for a producer to give you a role. If you have what it takes, create your own movie," he advised.

Having personally experienced the burden of self-financing, LilWin noted that all his projects have been executed without external financial support.

"Today, I can proudly say that all my movies and TV productions were financed solely by me, without any external backing. So you can imagine the quality I could achieve if I had an investor supporting me," he added.

He cited his latest film, A Country Called Ghana, as a testament to what Ghanaian filmmakers can accomplish despite financial hardships.

"A Country Called Ghana is the best production in recent times, just like the classic I Told You So. It has won several awards, including Best Indigenous Film at the 2024 Nollywood Film Festival, as well as Best Production Design and Best Makeup at the 2024 Imo International Film Festival," he revealed.

The movie, which was also nominated for Movie of the Year at the 2024 Black Star International Film Festival (BSIFF), features top Nollywood stars such as Ramsey Nouah, Charles Awurum, and Victor Osuagwu, popularly known as Awilo Sharp Sharp.

LilWin remains hopeful that with the right investment, the Ghanaian film industry can thrive, attract international recognition, and create more opportunities for talents in the sector.

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