Irene Opare wants to be paid for interviews?

Veteran Ghanaian actress, Irene Opare, has stated that the media should start paying her for interviews she grants on commercial programmes – otherwise, she’s sorry.

“Currently, most of the media houses are saying, as for Irene Opare if you invite her to honour your interview, she does not come, she’s too known! I've heard that a lot but when they call me, I ask them, what do you want me to do for you? If you are doing a programme and you want me to come and talk about the art, as a resource person, you have to pay me! I will charge you!” she said.

Irene is seriously championing this advocacy because, to her – she is not a neophyte in Ghana’s showbiz industry and for that matter, should be accorded her due.

“Some of us started long ago and we sweat out! We did hard work to get to where we are. It wasn't cheap at all! No radio station or TV station made it for us – so if we sweat to get to where we are, it is about time we take money for it. Why is it that when the media needs a celebrity for a show they come for us the known ones? They don’t because the established ones have huge followers! Irene Opare is a household name! He who does not know me is only a kid! Made my name over 20 years ago so I don’t need you to make me a star,” she revealed.

Irene, who also thinks the media, is not helping social intervention projects celebrities embark on, continued: “Has Razz written anything about me before! Have you? I’m asking you! Answer me! Meanwhile I’ve been doing a lot over the years! The whole country is filled with filth! We are living in poor sanitation! I started ‘Clean Mama’ campaign since 2010”.

“Have you written anything about it before?” She reiterated her point: “If a media house wants content, like say celebrity profile or interview you on a matter, they will call you to come to their studio but when we bring our projects for help, you don’t! It is only nice that when we also want something from you, you have to do without us paying for it because we can give content”.

“If I sit on your radio and you interview me, I’m giving you content for your show! So if you don’t pay me and someday I’m also bringing something to you, I don’t have to pay! Rather, they will call you and they won’t pay you or even pay for your petrol. Meanwhile, these same stations if you take your programme t them, you pay for it!”

She also revealed that, she recently drove to a TV station upon invitation for an interview and had to wake up at dawn to the station which is far from where she lives. At the end of the show, the producer of the show did not even give her money for fuel rather: “All they did was to smile and said, oh we thank you. You did well! God bless you! God bless, God bless is a past thing! Especially for me Irene Opare!”

She suggested what media houses should do if they really want her on their platforms for interview. “If you want me, call me and let’s sit down. It can be barter. I can come to your show as content so that when I also want to do a programme, I can bring you a CD for you to play for me”.

Irene Opare started acting in former GBC’s Thursday Theatre at age 14. She however started professional acting in 1989 when she was employed at old Parliament House – where she was part of Parliament’s Information, Communication and Education then widely known as ICE under President Jerry John Rawlings regime.

Irene Opare, who became famous at a tender age, has acted with revered names in Ghana’s movie industry such as: David Dontoh, Dzifa Glikpoe, Dzifa Gomashie, Fred Amugi, Late Michael Moncar, and others. In 1990 she started acting with Abibigroma.

List of movies she’s acted in include: ‘Demna’, ‘Black Sunday’, ‘Police Officer’, and ‘Destiny’ – which actually shot her to fame; ‘God is Wicked’, amongst others. She has strong passion for advocacy works and for that reason, was contracted by Unilever in 2010 for a sanitation project, supported by Zoomlion which has since earned her the name ‘Clean Momma’.