Producers cast actors based on personal connections –Beverly Afaglo

THE Ghanaian film industry faces a plethora of challenges but one which actress Beverly Afaglo finds troubling is where producers prioritise personal ‘connections’ over talent.  

She finds it worrisome as this negatively impacts the industry because quality is being compromised in favour of friendships and affiliations.  

Talking about her concern to Graphic Showbiz on Monday, March 24, 2025, Beverly described the situation as troubling, stressing that it needed to be addressed to ensure production of quality content.  

“In the past, the movie industry favoured light-skinned people, but now it has shifted to connections—who is your friend, who you are close to, and who comes to mind when casting. It’s no longer about talent; it is not about how good you are, you just need to have the connections and you land a role,” she said.  

Reflecting on her career in its earlier days, Beverly recalled the challenges dark-skinned actors faced. Producers largely preferred light-skinned actors for lead roles. She noted that apart from established stars such as Jackie Appiah, many dark-skinned actors struggled to secure significant roles.  

“They were choosing light-skinned actors over us. We would audition, sometimes even have scripts and everything ready, and then a fair newcomer from nowhere would come and take the script that you thought was yours. And that was what was happening.

“Apart from Jackie, who was already a star at the time despite being dark-skinned—there was nothing anyone could do about it. All the others they brought in were mostly light-skinned actors. Many of them have faded over time, and you wouldn’t even recognise them today. But back then, they were the ones getting the lead roles, while we were given smaller characters to play”, she explained.  

When asked whether this approach has affected the quality of movies produced, Beverly did not provide a direct response but suggested  it had influenced the industry's trajectory.  

Moving away from producers using connections for casting, Beverly threw a little light on her upcoming series.  

"Something is coming out, hopefully, it will be out next month. It's titled Pimp's Paradise. It's a short series," she excitedly shared.  

Touching on her role in the series, Beverly added, "I am the main pimp. My name is Edna Saraf, and I am in charge of the girls. They live in my house, so I'm the pimp who fills the house," she concluded.