Akosua Busia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Akosua Busia
Busia in 1986
Born	Akosua Gyamama Busia (1966-12-30) 30 December 1966 (age 58) Accra, Ghana
Education	Central School of Speech and Drama
Occupation	Actress, film director, songwriter, author
Years active	1979–present
Known for	Nettie Harris – The Color Purple
Spouse(s)	John Singleton ​ ​ (m. 1996; div. 1997)​
Children	1
Parent(s)	Kofi Abrefa Busia (father)
Relatives	Abena Busia (sister)

Akosua Gyamama Busia, born on December 30, 1966, is a talented actress, writer, and songwriter from Ghana. Many people know her for playing the character Nettie Harris in the 1985 movie The Color Purple. Her father, Kofi Abrefa Busia, was once the Prime Minister of Ghana.

Early Life and Royal Roots

Akosua Busia was born in Accra, Ghana, in 1966. Her father, Kofi Abrefa Busia, was a very important person. He served as the Prime Minister of Republic of Ghana from 1969 to 1972. He was also a prince from the royal family of Wenchi, which is part of the Ashanti group. This means Akosua is a princess!

Akosua has a sister named Abena Busia. Abena is a poet and a professor. She taught English at Rutgers University and became Ghana's ambassador to Brazil in 2017.

Akosua grew up in Ghana. She started acting when she was just 16 years old. She even received a scholarship to study at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. Her very first acting role was playing Juliet in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet at Oxford University. Her siblings were studying there at the time.

Akosua Busia's Acting Journey

Akosua Busia began her film career in 1979. Her first movie was an adventure film called Ashanti. She acted alongside famous stars like Michael Caine and Peter Ustinov.

After moving to Los Angeles in the early 1980s, she got a role in the movie The Final Terror. This film was directed by Andrew Davis, who also directed The Fugitive. The Final Terror was released in 1983.

Key Film Roles

Akosua Busia has played many memorable characters. In 1986, she played Bessie in the film Native Son. She also starred in Hard Lessons in 1986, with Denzel Washington.

One of her most famous roles was Nettie in Steven Spielberg's 1985 movie The Color Purple. She played the younger sister of Celie Harris, a character played by Whoopi Goldberg. The movie was based on a book by Alice Walker.

She also appeared as Ruth in Badge of the Assassin (1985). Later, she played Jewel in John Singleton's Rosewood (1997). In 2003, she was Patience in Tears of the Sun, directed by Antoine Fuqua. Akosua has also been on the TV show ER.

Return to the Stage

After taking a break for 18 years to raise her daughter, Akosua Busia returned to acting in 2016. She performed in the play Eclipsed by Danai Gurira. She acted alongside Lupita Nyong'o in both off-Broadway and Broadway productions. For her amazing performance off-Broadway, she won an Obie Award.

Writing and Directing Projects

Besides acting, Akosua Busia is also a talented writer and director.

Author and Screenwriter

She wrote a novel called The Seasons of Beento Blackbird: A Novel, which was published in 1997. Akosua was also one of three writers who helped adapt Toni Morrison's book Beloved into a film. The movie version of Beloved was released in 1998.

Filmmaker and Songwriter

In 2008, Akosua Busia directed a film about her father. It was called The Prof. A Man Remembered. Life, Vision & Legacy of K.A. Busia.

She also co-wrote a song called "Moon Blue" with the famous musician Stevie Wonder. This song was featured on his album A Time 2 Love in 2005. Her poem "Mama" was included in the 2019 book New Daughters of Africa.

In 2024, Akosua Busia released a drama film titled In Search of a Blessed Life: He Who Hath. This movie was inspired by a book. Later that same year, her documentary Stevie Wonder in Ghana: In Search of a Blessed Life was also released.

Personal Life and Family

On October 12, 1996, Akosua Busia married American film director John Singleton. They had a daughter named Hadar Busia-Singleton, who was born on April 3, 1997. The couple divorced in June 1997. Their daughter, Hadar, went to school in Ghana before returning to the US.

Akosua and her sister Abena Busia started the Busia Foundation International together. This organization aims to help people who are in need.

Filmography

Movies and TV Shows

See also

In Spanish: Akosua Busia para niños