Jackie Appiah is an award-winning Ghanaian actress and philanthropist known for her roles in movies across Ghallywood and Nollywood. Regularly cited as one of the most popular celebrities in Ghana, Appiah is the niece of former Ghanaian lawyer and legislator Joe Emmanuel Appiah, who served as the member of Parliament for Atwima-Amansio from 1957 to 1961.
Early Life, Education
Jackie Appiah was born on December 5, 1983, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to the Ghanaian couple Janet Owusu and George Kwabena Appiah. She is a citizen of both Ghana and Canada. Appiah moved to Ghana at age 10 with her mother. Appiah was educated at the Derrydown Public School in Toronto, Faith Montessori in Accra, and Achimota Preparatory School. Jackie was the girls’ entertainment prefect during her time at Achimota. She attended senior high school at Harvard College in Accra.
Appiah had her tertiary education at the University of Ghana, Legon. Jackie’s career took off after her senior high school education, but she went back to school in the late 2010s, graduating from the University of Ghana, Legon, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Information Studies in 2022. She topped it up with a Master of Arts (MA) in Communication Studies in 2025.
Career, Personal Life
Jackie Appiah’s career started as a child acting in church plays. During her time in Achimota Preparatory, Appiah auditioned for a role on the Hal Jackson Talent Teens with the reward of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform at the Apollo Theatre. Jackie finished as the first runner-up, missing her chance.
Her first major acting role arrived in the early 2000s when she landed a role on the youth-orientated, sex-ed series ‘Things We Do for Love’, written by Edward Seddoh Junior. Jackie was cast as Enyonam Blagogee and appeared in all three seasons of the show from 2003 to 2006. She followed that up with her first movie role in ‘Divine Love’ (2004) alongside fellow ‘Things We Do for Love’ alum Majid Michel, Van Vicker, Akofa Edjeani, Doris Sakitey, and others. Appiah hosted the show E-Zone on TV3 Ghana around this time.
After becoming a household name in Ghana, Appiah went international, starring in her first Nollywood movie, ‘Sleep Walker’, alongside Genevieve Nnaji, Ramsey Nouah, and Mercy Johnson, in 2007.
Appiah has since appeared in countless movies across Ghallywood, Nollywood, and Hollywood, including Beyonce, Princess Tyra, Perfect Picture, The President’s Daughter, The King is Mine, Turning Point, and Mummy’s Daughter. Her television roles include Tentacles, Games People Play, and Sun City.
Appiah has a son, Damien, born in 2005. She was married to Peter Agyemang, a Ghanaian businessman, from 2005 to 2008.
Jackie is a known philanthropist who makes a significant donation to an underprivileged group on her birthday every year. She owns a state-of-the-art mansion in the wealthy Accra suburb, East Legon – as well as many other properties.
Awards
Jackie Appiah has won many awards throughout her career including…
African Movie Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for ‘Beyonce’ (2007),
Arts Critics and Reviewers Association of Ghana (ACRAG) Award for Best Actress (2007)
African Movie Academy Award Best Actress in a Leading Role for ‘Perfect Picture’ (2010)
Ghana Movie Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role for ‘4play’ 2010
Best Pan-African Actress (2011)
City People’s Entertainment Awards for Best Ghanaian Actress (2010).
