Last year was very amazing —James Gardiner

At a time when most Ghanaian actors are complaining of no jobs in the local movie industry, actor James Gardiner has been busy in one production after the other in both Nigeria and Ghana.

The year 2022 was very good for him and he is looking forward to an even more amazing new year.

In a chat with Graphic Showbiz, Gardiner said: “Now, I will say it’s been a cruise in Nigeria, and thanks to God.

There is a lot of competition, so to even come from Ghana and still get roles there on a regular basis is like a big buzz.

“Thankfully, I am working with some very good directors, as well as talented actors, so it’s been a very good year for me so far as filmmaking in Nigeria is concerned. Movie lovers will see my good works out there and I am going to make Ghana proud.

“Ghana is not left out. I have done a couple of productions here, so I am trying to balance it. But it’s like there is more work to be done in Nigeria just to make sure I become a household name.

“I want to work hard so that it will be a good representation of Ghana over there and in the whole of Africa as well. Most of the productions I did will be out this year and once they do, everyone gets to see my craft and what I have to offer,” he stated.

Touching on the difference between working in Ghana and in Nigeria, Gardiner explained, “I believe we have more in common than people think. I think what works in favour for Nigeria is their numbers. It is a big country and they tend to do more with business, as the numbers interpret into bigger consumption.

“For instance, in Nigeria, there are loads of cinemas scattered around which are patronised by people. Ghana is a very small country - the population of Lagos alone is bigger than Ghana - so if we are trying to compare the two countries in this regard, then it becomes a bit of a mismatch.

“We have very good actors here, we have very good directors here and we do solid productions here. I think the problem is with funding. Because we don’t have the numbers on our side, we don’t have the masses on our side to balance it or to make the mathematics work out. Thus, we need more of corporate sponsorship and government support.”