Popular Ghanaian actor, Jimmy Quist, has disclosed that he did not receive payment for his role in the acclaimed Ghanaian TV sitcom "Efiewura."
During an appearance on Channel One TV's "Upside Down" show, Quist revealed that his participation in "Efiewura" was voluntary, spanning 13 years from 2002 to 2014.
“Efiewura came out after Okraku Mantey had produced Daasebre Dwamena. I think there was a fallout somewhere, so I went to visit Okraku Mantey and the director was there, so I offered to be part of the series voluntarily,” he said.
He explained that while professional actors were compensated, he and other participants with personal vehicles received only fuel allowances.
He added that his involvement was a show of support for the project and that he and his friend, Koofori, both radio personalities at the time, leveraged their platforms to increase the show's popularity.
“They only gave allowance…I wanted to do it because it was my friend’s thing…Koofori was at Radio Gold and I was at Joy so we used our platform to propel Efiewura to get popular.
“I was actively in Efiewura for 13 years, …from 2002 till 2014… I wasn’t getting paid..they were only paying the professionals… Those of us with cars were given something for fuel,” he said.
The series, which aired in Akan, delved into the dynamics between landlords and tenants and has been one of Ghana's longest-running television shows since its inception in 2001.
ID/NOQ