Movies of Tuesday, 21 May 2013

Source: Gifty Owusu-Amoah

I’m just confident and not arrogant - Lydia Forson

Elegant actress and 2010 AMAA’s Best actress award winner, Lydia Forson, has explained that her non-appearance in many more movies than those she has played has nothing to do with her confident appearance and her outspoken nature which many people mistake for arrogance.

“I am just a confident and an outspoken person who doesn’t allow people to intimidate me by their status in society. So yes, people would think that Lydia Forson is that arrogant who doesn’t respect people but I believe that respect is reciprocal, you treat me well and I give you that treatment back.”

Talking to Showbiz last Wednesday, Lydia said “I treat everybody irrespective of your position as a producer, actor, fan or any other person because I believe that if I want respect, I need to give it out but I don’t need people to define who I am by their definition of what respect and humility is.”

Reacting to comments that her alleged arrogance has been the cause of her inability to get roles in Ghanaian movies, Lydia remarked, “I know most people are making these comments because I no longer play in Shirley Frimpong Manso’s movies but I can’t be tied to only one filmmaker. I need to explore other opportunities and that is exactly what I have been doing.”

She said her careful selection of movie roles have accounted for the limited number of movies she has featured in since she started acting about five years ago.

Known for movies such as “Perfect Picture”, “a Sting in a tale” “Phone Swap”, “Figurine” “Scorned” and “Masquerades” the product of St. Louis Senior High School in Kumasi says that it is not the quantity of movies you star in that make you a good actress but the quality and how one uses the publicity gained to build a strong brand in the industry.

“Halle Berry is one actress who will not feature in a movie for more than four years but her brand as an actress never fades because of what she has achieved for herself. As an actress, I don’t believe that I have to limit my career to just acting but I should build a brand around me that will benefit me in future and that is what my management has been working on for some time now.”

Expressing her excitement over her debut appearance on South African soap opera Scandal where she plays the role of Aku, Lydia remarked, “I am yet to sink into the feeling and excitement because it was a major breakthrough for me as an actress and I must confess that I am yet to overcome the excitement and reverie that comes with it.”

Lydia who holds a degree in English and Information Studies from the University of Ghana said she is single because she has not met the kind of man who intrigues her to be in a relationship. “I am a very strong person and I must be sincere that I am sometimes difficult, so I want an open minded man who doesn’t take things at heart but those I have met have not intrigued me that much.”

Her awards include AMAA’S Best Actress in 2010 and Best Screen Play at last year’s Ghana Movie Awards for the movie In the Cupboard which she was the scriptwriter. “Not many know that I am a writer so when I won the Best Screenplay, it surprised people but scriptwriting is what I do aside my acting.”

Lydia says that it is her heartfelt desire to conquer the world in a few years with her acting prowess and has always been inspired by the “mystery of life.”

“Life is beautiful and it is just like one big play being staged by many actors. Today, you are down and next, you are the boss that everybody is worshiping. You can’t understand how life evolves but I have been inspired as an actress not to give up easily by life because no one knows who and what I will become in few years as life goes on.”