Grace Nortey

Grace Nortey was a Ghanaian actress whose career on stage, radio, television and film lasted more than five decades. She was one of the best-known faces of Ghana's golden age of television drama in the 1980s and 1990s, usually playing a strong-willed matriarch who stood up to stubborn men and unfair traditions. She died on 26 August 2026, aged 89.

Early life and radio

She was born on 1 February 1937. Before she became famous on television she hosted Nyeawokoshie, a talk show for Ga women on Radio One in the 1970s that aimed to empower women.

Television and film

She acted in many stage productions before her first major screen role, as the wife of Joe Eyison in the 1986 comedy Juju. She was a regular presence during the era of Obra, Osofo Dadzie, Cantata, Taxi Driver and Thursday Theatre, and her on-screen clashes with actors such as Solomon Sampa, Mac Jordan Amartey, George Williams and Kofi Adjorlolo made her a favourite with viewers.

Her films include Nana Akoto (1985), The Other Side of the Rich (1992), Escape to Love (1996), Ties That Bind (2011), Sinking Sands (2011) and Beasts of No Nation (2015). In her later years, poor eyesight and limited mobility meant she took smaller roles that allowed more improvisation.

Advocacy and honours

She was a member of the Ghana Actors Guild and urged young actors to get formal training before going into acting full time. She won Best Cameo Actress at the 2011 Ghana Movie Awards for Adams Apple, the Excellence in Arts award at the 2016 Glitz Women of the Year Honours, and a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Black Star International Film Festival.

Family and death

She had five children, among them the actress Sheila Nortey. She died on 26 August 2026 at the age of 89.