How ‘Pusher’ role has affected my life - Adjetey Anang tells it all

Actor Adjetey Anang of ‘Things We Do For Love’ fame recounts how his role in the popular television series has affected his life. Like the kiwifruit, it’s been sweet and ‘sour’.

Having played a bad boy role in the series written and directed by Edward Seddor Jnr and Ivan Quashigah respectively, his personality has not been detached from the Pusher character although it’s been two decades.

“I go to church for example and somebody is like ‘oh, you also come to church?’ And they say it without thinking; they catch themselves and later they’re like ‘eh, I shouldn’t have said that’” says the actor who relishes the moment. “They don’t expect a character like that to come to church.”

“But it’s not always the disadvantage. I do experience the good side. It feels good,” he tells Stacy, host of ‘Restoration with Stacy’.

Adjetey Anang mentions that there have been instances he has gained an advantage over others due to how famous he is although he never wanted to be treated differently. For instance, his insistence that he be made to join a queue till it’s his turn, he says, has always been doused by persons in the queue as they asseverated that he is a star and they appreciate his acting prowess.

The actor recalls how he landed a role in ‘Things We Do For Love’, saying it began in his days as national service personnel. Initially, his role was BB’s, but Ivan Quashigah later told him to switch to Pusher.

“I was like, ‘oh, why Pusher?’ This Pusher guy is so naughty… I was not comfortable at all but he kept insisting,” he says.

On how he was able to execute his role, Adjetey Anang remarks that the inspiration was from three sources.

“Pusher for me was a combination of three characters. There was this mate in school who had a walk similar to Pusher but I exaggerated it. And then there was this my guy who watches a movie and you dare not let him tell you about the movie because he tells you from the soundtrack to the end; he’s very dramatic. And then of course this other guy who would talk and melt your heart. So guided by Ivan Quashigah and the writer, we brought this character to life.”

Although he cemented his name in the Ghana movie industry with his role in the TV series, the next agenda was how to maintain relevance and chalk more successes.

He says: “It was definitely a platform that gave me that life. Previously, we were doing Thursday Theatre on TV but Pusher just exploded. It was something I was unprepared for… It brought some pressure to really make sure I keep getting better. It meant working harder…”