Veteran Ghanaian actor, Dan Tei Mensah has explained the reason he is still in Ghana’s movie industry, despite the fact that a number of his pals he started with had abandoned the industry long ago. According to Dan, who started acting in 1985 in the movie ‘Ogboo Nana’, featuring Sidiku Buari, Prince Yawson among others, he had ample time and good opportunities to say goodbye to Ghana’s movie industry, but he didn’t because he wanted to stay in the film industry. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Beatwaves, Dan, who now works with Venus Films and recently appeared in the production house’s hit movie ‘Chelsea’, said acting in his days wasn’t business-like as it is today. He disclosed that back in the days, actors were paid very meager fees and sometimes nothing at all. “We used our own costumes for the love of it. We were not given that much money like we see these days that people can be paid about $5000 or $6000 for a role.” But that did not discourage him; he stayed because “we acted out of passion. We were not looking at the dividend that we were going to derive from it.” He said he and his colleagues never had the opportunity that actors are currently enjoying, yet they were happy at the time. “Today, some of us are glad because we have set a pace for others to follow. We are happy; at least all of us can’t be winners. We came to prepare the way for others to follow. I think we paid our dues.” Even though he does not play major roles, Dan still acts. He said he sometimes misses the days when he used to be a very hot actor. Professionally, he started acting in 1985, when he starred in ‘Ogboo Nana’. After that, he appeared in Thursday Theatres, Showcase In Ga and other TV productions. Prior to that, the Ministry of Health at that time used to organize a drama troupe called ‘Hewale’ and he was part of it. Currently, he has over 100 movies to his credit. Among them are ‘Shadows From The Past’, ‘Without Her Concern’, ‘Wedlock’ and ‘Man-Woman’. He however did not anticipate acting as a career when he was growing up. “I never knew I could act; it just happened along the line. I sing and teach music as well. Acting just came in,” he indicated. Born in the northern part of Ghana, Dan Tei Mensah Tanihu, as he is known in private life, hails from Ada in the Greater Accra Region but he grew up in the north and he speaks almost every language in the north. He attended Tamale Secondary School and later went to the University of Ghana where he read statistics, before moving to the Valley View University. Whilst acting, he worked with the Ghana Health Service as a statistician. Source: Daily Guide