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Top 5 American Celebrities That Are Ghanaians
Did you know that some of America’s most famous celebrities have Ghanaian roots? In this article, RNN will introduce you to five such stars who proudly claim their Ghanaian heritage. These individuals, hailing from various fields like acting and music, have not only achieved immense success but have also wholeheartedly embraced and celebrated their Ghanaian roots.
Top 5 American Celebrities That Are Ghanaians
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5. Akosua Busia
Akosua Gyamama Busia, a famous American celebrity of Ghanaian descent, is also a princess. Her father, Kofi Abrefa Busia, served as the prime minister of the Republic of Ghana from 1969 to 1972. She was born on December 30, 1966, and currently resides in the United Kingdom. Akosua is known for her roles in the 1985 film “The Color Purple,” where she portrayed Nettie Harris alongside Whoopi Goldberg. She is not only an actress but also a film director, author, and songwriter.
4. Abraham Attah
Abraham Nii Attah, born on July 2, 2002, is a Ghanaian actor currently residing in the United States. He belongs to the Ga-Dangme ethnic group in Ghana’s Greater Accra Region. His first feature film role was in the 2015 movie “Beasts of No Nation,” where he played the lead role of child soldier Agu. He received the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival for this performance. Additionally, he appeared in the 2017 Marvel Studios film “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”
3. Idris Elba
Idrissa Akuna Elba was born on September 6, 1972, in Hackney, London. His father, Winston Elba, worked at the Ford Dagenham plant and was from Sierra Leone, while his mother, Eve, was Ghanaian. Idris is known as an English actor. He attended the National Youth Music Theatre in London and gained recognition for various roles, such as Stringer Bell in the HBO series The Wire (2002–2004), DCI John Luther in the BBC One series Luther (2010–2019), and portraying Nelson Mandela in the biographical film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013). He received multiple nominations for Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor and Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor, winning one Golden Globe.
2. Boris Kodjoe
Boris Frederic Cecil Tay-Natey Ofuatey-Kodjoe was born in Vienna, Austria, on March 8, 1973. His mother, Ursula, is a German psychologist with partial Jewish heritage, and his father, Eric Kodjoe, hails from the Nzema people in Ghana and works as a physician.
Boris is a well-known German actor and former model. He gained fame for portraying Kelby in the 2002 film “Brown Sugar,” playing the role of sports-courier agent Damon Carter in the Showtime drama series “Soul Food,” portraying Dr. Will Campbell in CBS’s “Code Black,” and making recurring appearances on FOX’s “The Last Man on Earth.” He also stars in BET’s “Real Husbands of Hollywood” and the Grey’s Anatomy spin-off, “Station 19,” as Robert Sullivan.
1. Cynthia Addai-Robinson
Cynthia Addai-Robinson, an American actress with British and Ghanaian heritage, was born in London on January 12, 1985. She moved to the U.S. at age 4 and grew up in a Washington, D.C. suburb under her mother’s care. She attended Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Maryland, and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater from the Tisch School of the Arts. Additionally, she trained at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute and in dance styles like ballet, jazz, and tap.
She’s famous for playing Naevia in the Starz TV series Spartacus, Amanda Waller in The CW’s Arrow, and Nadine Memphis in USA Network’s Shooter. Currently, she appears as Tar-MÃriel in Amazon Prime’s The Lord of the Rings series, The Rings of Power.