Akosua Busia
Akosua Gyamama Busia (born 30 December 1966)[1][2] is a Ghanaian actress, film director, author and songwriter who lives in the United Kingdom. She played Nettie Harris in the 1985 film The Color Purple, alongside Whoopi Goldberg.
Akosua Busia | |
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![]() Busia in 1986 | |
Born | Akosua Gyamama Busia 30 December 1966 Ghana |
Education | Central School of Speech and Drama |
Occupation(s) | Actress, film director, songwriter, author |
Years active | 1979–present |
Known for | Nettie Harris – The Color Purple |
Spouse | |
Children | 1 |
Parent |
|
Relatives | Abena Busia (sister) |
Website | www |
Family and early life
Busia is the daughter of Kofi Abrefa Busia, who was prime minister of the Republic of Ghana (from 1969 to 1972)[3] and a prince of the royal family of Wenchi,[4] a subgroup of the Ashanti, making Akosua a princess too.[5] Her sister, Abena Busia, is a poet and academic, who was a professor in English at Rutgers University,[6] and since 2017 has been the Ghanaian ambassador to Brazil.[7]
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.[8] 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.[8]
Career
Busia's film roles include a notable performance as Bessie in a 1986 film adaptation of Richard Wright's novel Native Son (with Geraldine Page and Matt Dillon. She also starred in Hard Lessons alongside Denzel Washington and Lynn Whitfield in 1986.[9] Busia played Nettie (opposite Danny Glover and Whoopi Goldberg) in Steven Spielberg's 1985 The Color Purple,[10] 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),[11] and as Patience in Antoine Fuqua's Tears of the Sun (2003).[12] 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, ISBN 9780671014094).[13][14] She was one of three co-writers for the screenplay adaptation of Toni Morrison's 1987 novel Beloved for the 1998 film version of the same name directed by Jonathan Demme.[15] In 2008 Busia directed a film about her father: The Prof. A Man Remembered. Life, Vision & Legacy of K.A. Busia.[16] Busia also co-wrote the song "Moon Blue" with Stevie Wonder for his album A Time 2 Love, released in 2005.[17] Her poem "Mama" is included in the 2019 anthology New Daughters of Africa, edited by Margaret Busby.[18]
After 18-year hiatus to raise her daughter, in 2016 Busia returned to acting in the off-Broadway and Broadway production of Danai Gurira's play Eclipsed, alongside Lupita Nyong'o.[19] For her performance off-Broadway, she received an Obie Award for Distinguished Performance as Rita [20]
Personal life
On 12 October 1996, Akosua Busia married the American film director John Singleton, with whom she has a daughter[15] — Hadar Busia-Singleton (born 3 April 1997); the couple divorced on 15 June 1997. Their daughter attended school in Ghana, before returning to the US.[4]
She co-founded with her sister Abena Busia the Busia Foundation International, aiming "to provide assistance to the disadvantaged".[21]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1979 | Ashanti | The Senoufo Girl | |
1983 | The Final Terror | Vanessa | |
1984 | Louisiana | Ivy | TV movie |
1985 | Badge of the Assassin | Ruth | TV movie |
1985 | The Color Purple | Nettie Harris | |
1986 | Crossroads | Woman at Boardinghouse | |
1986 | Low Blow | Karma | |
1986 | Hard Lessons (a.k.a. The George McKenna Story | Cynthia Byers | |
1986 | Native Son | Bessie | |
1988 | Saxo | Puppet | |
1988 | The Seventh Sign | Penny Washburn | |
1991 | New Jack City | Courtroom Spectator | Uncredited |
1997 | Rosewood | Jewel | |
1997 | Mad City | Diane | |
1997 | Ill Gotten Gains | Fey | |
2003 | Tears of the Sun | Patience | |
2007 | Ascension Day | Cherry |
References
- Who's Who Among African Americans. Vol. 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.
- Kiesewetter, John (7 April 1999). "'ER' actress dreams about having it all". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on 18 February 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
- Wallace, Amy (1998-09-25). "War of Words". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
- "Busia, Abena - Professor", Department of Women's and Gender Studies. Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
- "The Ambassador". Ghana Embassy - Brasilia, Brazil. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
- Smith, Gail (4 December 1998), "Just don't say 'no'", Mail & Guardian (South Africa).
- Akosua Busia at IMDb.
- 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.
- "Writer", Akosua Busia website.
- Fierman, Daniel (October 16, 1998). "Brawl Over 'Beloved'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 24 March 2007.
- "The Prof: A Man Remembered". Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- "A Time To Love - Press Release | The wonder of it all". Detroit News. 8 October 2005. Retrieved 25 March 2023 – via steviewonder.org.uk.
- Maxwell, Anne (19 July 2019). "The many urgent voices of women writers from Africa". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- Mark Kennedy, "Akosua Busia re-emerges in the spotlight in ‘Eclipsed’", Washington Times, 23 March 2016.
- "Akosua Busia, Biography". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
- "Foundations". Akosua Busia. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
External links
- Akosua Busia website
- Akosua Busia at IMDb
- "Ama K. interviews Akosua Busia", YouTube video.