Veteran Ghanaian actress Grace Nortey, one of the pioneers of the country’s theatre, television and film industry, has reportedly died at the age of 89.
Nortey reportedly passed away in the early hours of Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC).
Born on February 1, 1937, the celebrated actress had a career spanning more than five decades, becoming one of the most recognisable faces of Ghanaian entertainment.
She was particularly known for portraying strong-willed, outspoken and commanding female characters, earning her the popular nickname “Maame Gyata,” meaning Lion Woman or Lion Lady.
Nortey was active in some of Ghana’s most popular television and theatre productions, including Obra, Osofo Dadzie, Key Soap Concert Party, Cantata, Taxi Driver and Thursday Theatre.
Her major screen debut came in the 1986 comic film Juju, produced by King Ampaw and Peter Wohlgemuth-Reinery, where she played the wife of veteran actor Joe Eyison.
She went on to feature in several Ghanaian productions, including Nana Akoto, The Other Side of the Rich, Escape to Love, Matters of the Heart, Expectations, Jewels, The Ties That Bind and Sinking Sands.
Her career also extended to international productions. She appeared in the 2015 Netflix film Beasts of No Nation, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and starring Idris Elba and Abraham Attah. She played the role of the Old Witch Woman in the film, which was shot in Ghana.
Beyond acting, Nortey worked as a Senior Administrative Assistant with the Ghana Education Service and was an advocate for the welfare of veteran actors.
Her contribution to Ghana’s creative industry earned her several honours. She won Best Cameo Actress at the Ghana Movie Awards in 2011 for Adams Apple and received the Excellence in Arts award at the Glitz Women of the Year Honours in 2016.
In 2018, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Black Star International Film Festival. She was also honoured with a Legendary Award for Outstanding Contributions at the Ghana Actors Entertainment Award in 2020.
In 2021, she received an Outstanding Contribution to Women’s Excellence in the Performing Arts honour at the 3Music Awards Women’s Brunch, while she was honoured again in April 2025 during the Ashanti Festival for her contribution to Ghanaian entertainment.
Nortey was married to the late Daniel Nortey, and the couple had five children, including actress Sheila Nortey.
In her later years, she reduced the number of demanding acting roles she accepted due to mobility and eyesight challenges. She had previously explained that reading lengthy scripts had become difficult, although she remained open to smaller roles that allowed her to work from scenarios and improvise.
Details of the cause of her death have not been publicly disclosed.
Grace Nortey’s reported passing marks the loss of a veteran performer whose career connected Ghana’s early radio, theatre and television era with the modern film industry.
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