Ghanaian actress Martha Ankomah has opened up about colorism in the local film industry, revealing that dark-skinned actors often faced discrimination and pressure to bleach their skin in order to land roles.
Speaking at the PCH Hangouts 2025 Edition at ICGC New Wine Temple in East Legon, Ankomah shared an experience when a producer criticized her skin tone, saying, “Martha, you are too black… when we shine the lights on you, you won’t shine.”
She explained that such biases in the industry led many of her colleagues to lighten their skin to meet the perceived beauty standard. “Due to this pressure, many of my colleagues started bleaching, and that’s why some of them are fair now. If you’ve been following Ghanaian movies for a while, you’ll notice some of them weren’t fair before, but they are now because they had to keep up with it.”
Despite the pressure, Ankomah resisted the trend, crediting her decision to wisdom, faith, and her upbringing. “I thank God for wisdom because the Bible says the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. I’m also grateful for my parents… my dad was an Adventist, may he rest in peace, and my mom is a strict Pentecostal.”
Reflecting on her journey in the industry, Ankomah acknowledged the challenges she faced before the rise of social media. “It hasn’t been easy. It’s only been the grace of God. When we started, there was no Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or Twitter. It was just about being featured on a poster,” she explained.
She also addressed rumors about actors engaging in compromising situations to advance their careers, emphasizing that such pressures exist in all professions. “I’m sure in any workplace, people do all sorts of things to get ahead. It’s everywhere, trust me, but it takes the grace of God to say no to many things.”