Gyearbuor Asante | |
|---|---|
| Born | Frederick Christopher Kwabena Gyearbuor Asante Erskine (1941-11-04)4 November 1941 Accra, Ghana |
| Died | 2 August 2000(2000-08-02) (aged 58) Accra, Ghana |
| Citizenship | Ghanaian |
| Alma mater | Mountview Theatre School |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1972-1994 |
| Known for | Hazell, The Professionals, Ubu Roi, Local Hero, Desmond's |
Frederick Christopher Kwabena Gyearbuor Asante Erskine (4 November 1941 – 2 August 2000) was a Ghanaian actor best remembered for his role in the Channel 4 situation comedy Desmond's, in which he played the role of Gambian mature student Matthew.1
Life and career
Born in Accra, Asante moved to the United Kingdom in 1967 and trained to be an actor at the Mountview Theatre School. A "Gyearbuor Asante Prize for Acting" was subsequently instituted at the academy following his death.2 He appeared in a number of British TV shows during the 1970s and 1980s, where he was billed as Christopher Asante. His credits included episodes of Space: 1999, Mind Your Language, Hazell and The Professionals as well as a TV performance of Ubu Roi in 1976. He also played the minister in the 1983 film Local Hero.3
He came from a long line of chiefs of his hometown Kwahu Tafo but ruled himself out of carrying on the tradition in favour of pursuing a career in acting; the chieftaincy Asante was offered was taken up by his friend, television producer Humphrey Barclay.4
He returned to Ghana in 1995 where he was made a Cultural Ambassador. He died in Accra, with his funeral held in his ancestral village of Tafo Kwahu.5
Selected Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Adam Smith | Vernon | Episode #2.3 |
| Love Thy Neighbour | TV Repair Man | Episode: "Voodoo" | |
| 1973 -
1976 |
Crown Court | Colin Langham /
Bode Solanke |
4 episodes |
| 1974 | The Top Secret Life of Edgar Briggs | Ticket Collector | Episode: "The Contact" |
| 1975 | Doctor on the Go | Jones | Episode: "What's Op Doc?" |
| 1976 | The Expert | Thuo Kamuni | Episode: "Hour of the Snake" |
| 1977 | Space: 1999 | Guard | Episode: "The Seance Spectre" |
| The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It | African Delegate | Film | |
| 1978 | Mind Your Language | Inspector Roger Kenyon | Episode: "The Inspector Calls" |
| Mixed Blessings | Dr. Morgan | Episode: "We're Only Trying to Help" | |
| 1979 | Bless Me, Father | Mr. Affram | Episode: "Father Neil's First Miracle" |
| Hazell | Anderson | Episode: "Hazell Gets the Bird" | |
| Strangers | Harry | Episode: "The Wheeler Dealers" | |
| 1980 | The Dogs of War | Geoffrey | Film |
| Minder | Taxi Driver | Episode: "You Gotta Have Friends" 6 | |
| The Professionals | Quentin | Episode: "Fugitive" | |
| 1983 | Local Hero | Rev. Macpherson | Film |
| Rumpole of the Bailey | Rupert Taboro | Episode: "Rumpole and the Golden Thread" | |
| 1986 | ScreenPlay | Michael | Episode: "Drums Along Balmoral Drive" |
| 1989 -
1994 |
Desmond's | Matthew | 69 episodes |
References
References
- Horace Newcomb, Encyclopedia of Television, Routledge, 2014, p. 690.
- "Gyearbuor Asante Prize for Acting". Mountview.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2014-07-25. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
- "Gyearbuor Asante". BFI. Archived from the original on 2012-08-04. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
- "Desmond's star leaves a lasting legacy in Ghana". Archived from the original on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
- Jason Deans (2003-01-05). "Comic Hero". The Guardian. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
- Uncredited role.