Ghanaian actor and musician Razak Amissah, popularly known as Zack GH, has opened up about how changing his signature Rasta hairstyle nearly affected his acting career and identity in the movie industry.

Speaking in an interview with media personality Nana Ama Ntsiful on Oyerepa OBT Entertainment, Zack GH reflected on some of the difficult decisions he made earlier in his career after receiving advice from industry figures who believed he needed a different appearance to secure more diverse acting roles.

According to him, things began to change after the movie “Love and Bullet” became successful and earned him more recognition in the film industry.

“After the movie Love and Bullet sold out, that was when they started to give me more roles. Jackson told me to trim my Rasta down. Him and Frank Tailor said I should do it just to get certain roles because I’m a good-looking guy. I don’t have to be playing the bad guy role all the time,” he recounted.

The actor explained that he listened to the advice and cut his hair in hopes of expanding his opportunities beyond the stereotypical “bad boy” roles often assigned to actors with dreadlocks.

“So I listened to them and trimmed my Rasta. To be honest with you, after trimming, the roles never came again,” he said.

According to Zack GH, the unexpected slowdown in acting opportunities forced him to redirect his attention to editing and other behind-the-scenes work in entertainment. However, he later noticed something surprising after allowing his hair to grow back.

“I stopped trimming my hair and immediately the Rasta came back, the roles started coming again. I was like, ‘What is going on?’” he disclosed.

The actor revealed that he later attempted trimming his hair again after being encouraged to do so, but the same pattern repeated itself, with acting opportunities drying up once more.

He credited celebrated actress Nana Ama McBrown for eventually advising him to fully embrace his natural identity and stop changing himself to satisfy industry expectations.

“So the last time, it was Nana Ama McBrown. She told me, ‘Zack, don’t listen to anyone. You are a musician and an actor. Keep it as your brand. Those who will call you will call. If others do not call, just focus and do what you want to do.’ I didn’t trim it off again. Then the movie roles continued,” he revealed.

Beyond his personal experience, Zack GH also shared advice for emerging entertainers, cautioning young creatives to be mindful of the image and identity they introduce to the public at the beginning of their careers.

“I always say that if you are an artist and you are coming up, be careful how you come up. Because it is what you bring that will be supported. If you fade, that’s all,” he stated.

He added that although his Rasta hairstyle became strongly associated with his image, he intentionally resisted being boxed into one type of character throughout his acting career.

“So as an artist, you should be versatile. I didn’t allow my Rasta hair to define my identity. I didn’t accept playing the bad boy role all the time. Sometimes, I refused to play certain roles if I didn’t like them,” he explained.

Zack GH also acknowledged movie producers and directors such as Jackson and Jones Agyemang for giving him opportunities to play more meaningful and diverse characters despite industry stereotypes surrounding actors with dreadlocks.

“Jones Agyemang too gave me good roles. He would tell you that there are a lot of actors out there who are Rastas, so it’s not that alone that will define you. It depends on the story,” he said.

His comments have since sparked conversations among entertainment fans about typecasting in Ghana’s movie industry and the pressure actors often face to alter their appearance in order to fit certain roles. For many, Zack GH’s experience highlights the importance of authenticity, branding, and versatility in the entertainment business.

Source: Yvonne Nyarko Agyemang