Give new actresses a chance – Jinell

Fast rising actress Jinell Georgina Amofa of ‘The Hunters’ fame has called on Ghanaian movie producers and directors to give underground actors an even playing field to compete for movie roles.

“There are a lot of huge talents underground who, when given the slightest opportunity, can shine and maybe even outshine the known faces. But no one is giving us a dog’s chance because our faces are not known. But how can our faces be known if no one is prepared to start showing our faces?” Jinell told NEWS-ONE.

The new actress, currently at the threshold of breaking into mainstream filmmaking, started drawing attention to herself after her role in ‘The Hunters’.

Speaking to NEWS-ONE, Jinell expressed the belief that Ghana’s movie industry has a huge army of untapped talents that need to be given the opportunity to contribute their quota to the movie industry.

“Getting movie roles as an upcoming actress is very difficult in Ghana because it seems the producers and directors, even before they complete the script, already have in mind which persons they want to cast and do not even hold auditions.

It is as though certain directors and filmmakers write their movie scripts to suit the known faces they have in mind and want to cast. This makes it difficult for us the new entrants to get roles because the playing field is not even.

“For instance I do not get the roles I want to play, not because I am not good but because the chance has not been given me to justify my inclusion. And this is the situation with several others who are upcoming actresses. I was lucky Venus Films gave me a chance for my very first movie and saw I was good. But aside that, who else is even giving me a chance to prove what is in me? I am not alone in this situation because there are many amateur or underground actresses who may interpret a movie role and live out a character in a script better than the known faces. But no one is ready to give us a dog’s chance,” she said.

Jinell continued: “Acting is not only about big names, it is about who can best interpret a role and make viewers love a movie. So I find it unfair for the industry to focus on only the big or known names.”

After starring in the ‘The Hunters’, Jinell did a second movie, ‘Vultures of Horror’, and is currently casting in a comedy series—Compound House—for television, which airs in a few months.

On what her fans should expect from her this year, Jinell said: “My fans should expect nothing but the best and keep praying for me.”