Veteran Ghanaian actress Grace Nortey has died aged 89, bringing an end to a career of more than 50 years across theatre, radio, television and film.
Nortey died in the early hours of Wednesday, 26 August 2026. She was born on 1 February 1937.
She became one of the most recognisable figures in Ghanaian entertainment, known for powerful performances and for frequently portraying outspoken, determined women. Her work connected several generations of Ghanaian performers and audiences.
Among the productions linked to her career were Obra, Osofo Dadzie, Nana Akoto, Escape to Love, Ties That Bind and Sinking Sands. In Sinking Sands, she played Grandma.
Nortey also appeared in Beasts of No Nation, the internationally acclaimed 2015 film directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga. The Ghana-shot production starred Idris Elba and Abraham Attah, with Nortey playing the Old Witch Woman.
Her reputation was established initially through theatre and radio before she became widely known on television and in cinema. During the 1970s, she hosted Nyeawokoshie, a radio programme aimed at Ga women.
One of her best-known television credits was Osofo Dadzie, which ran from the 1970s into the 1980s. The programme became noted for its dramatisation of Ghanaian folklore and social issues, helping establish Nortey as a familiar presence in Ghanaian homes.
Her later film work included Lost Hope, Dza Gbele, Matters of the Heart, Sekina, Expectations and Jewels. The range of those credits reflected a career that continued across changing eras of Ghanaian theatre, television and film.
Nortey was recognised for her contribution to the industry with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Black Star International Film Festival, according to biographical accounts of her career.
Away from the spotlight, she was a mother of five daughters, one of whom is actress Sheila Nortey. In a 2024 interview, Nortey discussed her personal life and the loss of her husband, Daniel Nortey.
Her death has led to tributes from colleagues and admirers across Ghanaian theatre, television and film. She leaves behind a body of work that included stage performances, radio broadcasting, television drama and internationally viewed cinema.
Through roles such as those in Osofo Dadzie, Sinking Sands and Beasts of No Nation, Nortey remained a distinctive presence in Ghana’s creative arts, with a career that spanned more than five decades.
