Movie star Adjetey Anang aka Pusher, says it's unfortunate people can’t detach actors from the roles they play in movies.

He was sharing the story of his journey into acting with Rev. Albert Ocran as part of the Engine Room series on Springboard, Your Virtual University on Joy FM.

Adjetey Anang, who played “Pusher’ in a popular series titled ‘Things we do for love” some years ago, thinks that “over time, actors have also created that perception because of their lifestyles.”

He recounts how sometimes people perceive actors as a bad influence and even go to the extent of shielding their children from them, saying “we walk into fast food joints and mothers who have daughters signal them to move away because, “the bad boy, Pusher” just walked in.”

Below are the lessons from Adjetey Anang’s (Pusher) interview with Rev. Albert Ocran.

OBSERVATION & OPPORTUNITY
In the beginning, I visited places where actors rehearsed and just enjoyed them while learning by observation. But, unfortunately, I only seized my opportunity when one character failed to turn up.

PROFESSIONALISM
Theatre can give you a role as opposed to your personality, but you have to wear it and take it off like a garment. The conflict arises when people actually perceive you as the ‘bad boy’ character and even go to the extent of shielding their children from you.

INTELLECT & PHILOSOPHY
Theatre must make us think about societal change. It must not just be about humour and wit but also about sober reflection.

FORMAL TRAINING
After performing for a while, I honed my craft at the School of Performing Arts, where I was largely influenced by Prof. Martin Owusu. I later proceeded to lecture at NAFTI.

ADAPTATION
Taking on a part involves research and adaptation. For example, to help me act the role of ‘Pusher’ in ‘Things We Do For Love’, I had to visit several bars to appreciate the mannerisms of the larger-than-life character I was trying to portray.

INVISIBLE ROLES
Most industries are far larger than the people you see on the frontline. People like costumers and those in charge of special effects take time to really analyze loads and loads of details in designing for the part.

PERSONAL ETHICS
I walked away from a very lucrative contract that required me to endorse and drink alcohol for ethical reasons. It was a tough decision that required consultation and counselling, but I look back now with gratitude because God rewarded me for my decision.

EXCELLENCE
I will celebrate someone like Shirley Frimpong Manso, who has the conviction and the guts to insist on her standards of excellence consistently. Shirley would typically make tough demands on A-List actors or actresses without pausing to consider who they say they are.

FEEDBACK & IMPACT
My greatest fear is insincere feedback. It is worrying when people hail you or praise you or work that you know feel short of the mark. My other fear is leaving my audience with nothing beneficial after a performance.

TEMPTATIONS
The movie industry is fraught with temptation, and nothing prepared me for it. I struggled to cope initially, but my wife has been a great source of support and strength.