Akosua Busia
Akosua Busia | |
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Born |
Ghana | December 30, 1966
Akosua Gyamama Busia (born 30 December 1966[1][2]) is a Ghanaian actress, film director and songwriter who lives in the U.K.
Family and early life
The daughter of Kofi Abrefa Busia, the ex-prime minister of the Republic of Ghana,[3] Akosua is the daughter of a prince of the royal family of Wenchi,[4] a subgroup of the Ashanti. Akosua is a princess of the royal family of Wenchi. Her sister Abena Busia is a poet and academic, an associate professor in English at Rutgers University.[5]
Akosua Busia grew up in Ghana, and began her acting career at the age of 16, attending London's Central School of Speech and Drama on scholarship.[6] Her first acting role was as Juliet in an otherwise white cast performing Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet at Oxford University, where her siblings were studying.[6]
Career
Busia's film roles include a notable performance as Bessie in a 1986 film adaptation of Richard Wright's Native Son (with Geraldine Page and Matt Dillon), as Nettie (opposite Danny Glover and Whoopi Goldberg) in Steven Spielberg's 1985 The Color Purple,[7] adapted from Alice Walker's novel of the same title, as Ruth in Badge of the Assassin (1985), as Jewel in John Singleton's Rosewood (1997),[8] and as Patience in Antoine Fuqua's Tears of the Sun (2003).[9] She has also appeared on television in the series ER.[4]
Busia is the author of The Seasons of Beento Blackbird: A Novel (Washington Square Press, 1997).[10] She was one of three co-writers for the screenplay adaptation of Toni Morrison's novel Beloved for the 1998 film version of the same name directed by Jonathan Demme.[11] In 2008 Busia directed a film about her father: The prof. A man remembered. Life, vision & legacy of K.A. Busia. Busia also co-wrote the song "Moon Blue" with Stevie Wonder for his album A Time 2 Love.[12]
Personal life
On 12 October 1996, Akosua Busia married the American film director John Singleton, with whom she has a daughter Hadar Busia-Singleton born (3 April 1997); the couple divorced on 15 June 1997.[4][11]
References
- ↑ Who's Who Among African Americans 22, Gale Research, 2008, p. 179, ISBN 978-1-4144-3400-1
- ↑ McCann, Bob (2010), Encyclopedia of African American Actresses In Film And Television, McFarland, p. 62, ISBN 978-0-7864-3790-0
- ↑ Takyi, Charles (22 December 2009). "Busia's family endorses new secretary for NPP". The Ghanaian Chronicle.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Kiesewetter, John (7 April 1999). "'ER' actress dreams about having it all". The Cincinnati Enquirer.
- ↑ "Busia, Abena - Professor", Department of Women's and Gender Studies, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Gail Smith, "Just don't say 'no'", Mail & Guardian (South Africa), 4 December 1998.
- ↑ Rosenberg, Donald (19 June 1990). "Akosua Busia's Dual Performance In 'Color Purple' Still Astonishing". Rocky Mountain News.
- ↑ Levin, Jordan (30 June 1996). "On Location: Dredging in the Deep South". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ Fuchs, Cynthia (8 March 2003), "Tears of the Sun: Review", PopMatters
- ↑ Rush, George (17 April 1997). "D'Angelo joins Al's bev-y of beauties". New York Daily News.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Fierman, Daniel (16 October 1998). "Brawl Over 'Beloved'". Entertainment Weekly.
- ↑ "The wonder of it all". The Detroit News. 8 October 2005.
External links
- Akosua Busia at the Internet Movie Database
- "Ama K. interviews Akosua Busia", YouTube video.
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