'A director slapped me twice on set, but I stayed' – Nana Ama McBrown recounts

Award-winning Ghanaian actress and media personality Nana Ama McBrown has opened up about the sacrifices and challenges she endured in the early stages of her acting career.

She revealed that she was once slapped twice by a film director but chose to persevere.

Speaking in an interview with Anita Akuffo on TV3 on July 20, 2026, McBrown said success in the entertainment industry requires preparation, patience and resilience, stressing that opportunities come to those who are ready for them.

"I just feel like everything is time, and within the time, you have to prepare yourself because you don't know where the opportunity will come from. I never thought I would be here one day, but I was prepared for it," she said.

The actress disclosed that she had no formal training in acting, explaining that she learned the craft through practical experience on movie sets.

"I never had any practice from the School of Performing Arts; I took it from the street. I studied this game on set and fortunately for me, I had the right man to follow, who was Miracle Films. I decided to stay with that man for about seven years," she stated.

'I miss going to the club' – McBrown opens up

According to McBrown, even after becoming a household name, she remained committed to learning by carrying out tasks behind the scenes.

"Even though I was popular, you would still come and meet me ironing costumes of people who had never been on TV. I could have stopped when I gained popularity, but I felt like I needed to study him and know it better so that when the opportunity came for me to be on my own, I would be ready," she explained.

She encouraged aspiring actors and television personalities to take advantage of social media while remaining patient and committed to their craft.

"Right now, the opportunities are out there on social media that you can even start on your own for people to recognize you. It doesn't come easy. It's not because you're beautiful and you have makeup on. You need God's favour, His blessings and you need to pray for that," she shared.

McBrown also noted that longevity in the media does not automatically translate into public recognition.

"People have been on TV for 20 years and can't be recognised aside from their family members. They wear the best outfits and attend programmes but still don't get the recognition. In all of this, just pray," she added.

Reflecting on the pressures of the industry, the actress recounted one of the most difficult moments of her career, revealing that she endured physical and verbal abuse on set because she was determined to succeed.

"Some people can't stand pressure, but in this line of work, there's a lot of pressure. It starts from the beginning when you decide to be an actress or a TV host. Our director slapped me twice on set and I continued working. He shouted at some people and they never returned to the set again, but I stayed after taking the slap. I knew I wanted to be there, so nothing stopped me," she recounted.

FG/EB

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