Ghanaian actor Mr Beautiful has revealed that his former colleague, Agya Koo, harboured a deep-seated dislike for him, seeing him as a potential threat to his dominance in the Kumawood film industry.
In an interview, Mr Beautiful shared that although he admired Agya Koo’s contributions to local films, the latter was not welcoming of other rising stars, especially those who could compete with his influence.
“When Agya Koo became popular, he wanted to be the only one in the limelight,” Mr Beautiful explained, adding that Agya Koo would sometimes hold up productions if he was travelling abroad, and if a producer ignored his demands, they could be blacklisted.
Despite this, Mr Beautiful was cast alongside Agya Koo in the film Sika Nibre, featuring Nana Ama McBrown. Although the movie was successful, Agya Koo reportedly refused to shoot additional films with Mr Beautiful unless he was dropped from the cast. Mr Beautiful disclosed that producers had to alter storylines in some instances to accommodate Agya Koo’s requests, as he did not want to share the spotlight with another lead actor.
“Agya Koo didn’t want to be cast alongside me as a lead character because he knew I would ride on his wings, and that was a smart move because he didn’t want me to become big like himself and reduce his influence and monopoly at the time,” Mr Beautiful remarked. He added that producers confirmed Agya Koo’s refusal to work with him due to feeling threatened.
Mr Beautiful further recounted how producers had to adopt strategies to manage Agya Koo’s behaviour, especially when Akrobeto joined the industry after returning from Belgium. In an attempt to avoid the same treatment from Agya Koo, Miracle Films made Akrobeto wash Agya Koo’s cars, helping the two actors develop a bond.
Mr Beautiful acknowledged Agya Koo’s immense talent but noted that this particular character trait eventually led producers to limit his roles, resulting in fewer collaborations with him over time.
