{{Short description|Ghanaian actress (born 1937)}} {{multiple issues| {{BLP sources|date=April 2017}} {{notability|Biographies|date=April 2017}} {{AI-generated|date=January 2026|reason=These August 2024 additions; note WP:AISIGNS in promotional tone, vocab distribution typical of 2024-2025 LLMs, both here and in user's other edits}} }} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}} {{Infobox person | name = Grace Nortey | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | other name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1937|02|01|df=y}} | birth_place = Ghana | occupation = Actress | years_active = 1970s–present | spouse = | children = 5 | website = }} '''Grace Nortey''' (born February 1, 1937) is a Ghanaian actress who has played several lead roles on Ghanaian television.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Glitz top 100 inspirational women – Page 100 – Glitz Africa Magazine |url=https://www.glitzafrica.com/glitz-top-100-inspirational-women/100/ |access-date=2022-05-28 |language=en-US}}</ref> She has been active in the film, theatre, and drama industries for over five decades and is considered as one of the veterans of Ghanaian theatre and drama.<ref name="r741">{{cite web | title=Grace Nortey Marks 87th Birthday | website=DailyGuide Network | date=2024-02-05 | url=https://dailyguidenetwork.com/grace-nortey-marks-87th-birthday/ | access-date=2024-08-19}}</ref>
== Early life == Grace Nortey was born on February 1, 1937.<ref name="r741" />
== Career == She has played different roles and starred in several movie productions released by the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI).<ref name="r741" />
She was often typecast as a feisty, vocal, assertive, eloquent, simple and straightforward, and strong-willed matriarch who confronted outmoded and discriminatory traditions and practices, including the deeply conservative views of the patriarchy, male dominance, backward and dehumanizing gender-based violence, class discrimination, institutional corruption, and social injustice, among others.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}
Nortey's popularity is largely attributed to numerous onscreen confrontations with unwieldy and uncompromising male adversaries, including the likes of Solomon Sampa, MacJordan Amartey, George Williams, Kofi Adjorlolo, and William Addo (Akpatse), among others.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}
Nortey was particularly active between the 80s and the turn of the millennium—the period often described as the golden age of Ghanaian theatre and drama when primetime evening entertainment TV programs such as "Obra," "Osofo Dadzie," "Key Soap Concert Party," "Cantata," "Taxi Driver," and "Thursday Theatre" were at the height of their popularity. She had starred in numerous stage productions before appearing in film and television. Before gaining fame on television, she hosted a radio talk show for Ga women that sort to empower women ("Nyeawokoshie") on Radio One in the 1970s. Her first major appearance on the screen was in the 1986 King Ampaw/Peter Wohlgemuth-Reinery co-produced Afro Movies comic film ''"Juju,"'' where she played the wife of fellow veteran actor Joe Eyison, alongside the likes of Emmanuel Agbenowu, Grace Ofoe, Osei Kwabena, and Evans Oma Hunter, among others. Some of her most notable movies include Lost Hope, Dza Gbele, Matters of the Heart, Sekina, Expectations, Jewels, Beasts of No Nation (2015) which starred Abraham Atta as Aku, Ties That Bind (2011), Sinking Sands (2011), Nana Akoto (1985), Escape to Love (1996), and The Other Side of The Rich (1992), among others.
Problems with her physical health that became chronic and an acute eyesight in recent years mean that she no longer takes on highly scripted or physically demanding acting roles due to restrictions on her mobility and the challenges of reading long scripts. Nonetheless, she still performs minor roles in movies and drama, which require less physical movement and also provide greater scope for on-set improvisation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/entertainment/Grace-Nortey-celebrates-her-80th-birthday-506132|title=Grace Nortey celebrates her 80th birthday|website=www.ghanaweb.com|date=2 February 2017 |access-date=2017-03-04}}</ref>
== Advocacy == Nortey is a member of the Ghana Actors Guild, which seeks to promote the welfare of members past and present.
Nortey has furthermore stressed the need for actors to obtain formal education and academic training in acting before pursuing a full-time career in the industry.
== Personal life == Nortey has five children. Grace is the mother of Sheila Nortey who is also an actress.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}
==Filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Film ! Role ! Notes |- | 1985 | ''Nana Akoto'' | | |- | 1992 | ''The Other Side of the Rich'' | Mrs. Ampofo | |- |1993 |''Matters of the Heart'' | | |- | 2006 | ''Frozen Emotion'' | | Direct-to-video |- | 2008 | ''Before My Eyes'' | Wummi | Direct-to-video |- |2009 |''My Sister's honour'' |Mrs. Wills |Drama |- | rowspan="2"|2011 | ''Sinking Sands'' | Grandma | |- | ''Ties That Bind'' | Church Member | |- | 2015 | ''Beasts of No Nation'' | Old Witch Woman | |- |2016 |''Amakye and Dede'' | |Comedy |- | rowspan="2"|2019 | ''P over D'' | Ayorkor | |- | '''95'' | Old Woman | |- |}
== Later life == In her later years, Grace Nortey encountered the typical challenges associated with aging, such as health issues and a reduced role in the entertainment industry.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Grace Nortey talks about life after stardom |url=https://www.pulse.com.gh/entertainment/celebrities/veteran-actress-grace-nortey-talks-about-life-after-stardom/knzq9wl |access-date=24 August 2024 |website=Pulse Ghana}}</ref>
== Awards == Nortey has received several awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Black Star International Film Festival, along with honors at the Ghana Movie Awards and the Glitz Women of the Year Honours. *Best Cameo Actress (Movie: "Adams Apple") - Ghana Movie Awards (2011<ref name="r741" />) *Excellence in Arts - Glitz Women of the Year Honours (2016) *Lifetime Achievement Award - Black Star International Film Festival (BSIFF) Awards (2018) *Legendary Award for Outstanding Contributions: Ghana Actors Entertainment Award (GAEA) - (2020) *Outstanding Contribution to Women's Excellence in The Performing Arts - 3Music Awards Women's Brunch (2021)
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == *{{IMDb name|0635977}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nortey, Grace}} Category:20th-century Ghanaian actresses Category:Ghanaian television actresses Category:Living people Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:1937 births Category:Ghanaian film actresses