Renowned actress Martha Ankomah has revealed that dark-skinned actors were compelled to breach to fit the screen standard of beauty.
According to her, the pressures in the industry got many talented actors sidelined.
Speaking at an event organized by International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Ankomah narrated that acting came with discrimination due to skin color type.
“Martha, you are too black… The lights we use in filmmaking won’t make you stand out,” she recounted.
Martha observed that the discrimination led some actors to resort to skin bleaching in order to secure roles and fit societal beauty standards.
“If you’ve been following Ghanaian films for years, you’ll notice that some actors who were once dark-skinned are now much lighter because they felt the need to maintain that appearance,” she said.
Despite the pressure, Martha Ankomah said she never gave in, crediting her strong Christian upbringing for helping her stay true to herself.
