Veteran Ghanaian actress Grace Nortey has died at the age of 89, according to a reliable source. Nortey died in the early hours of Wednesday, 26 Au
Veteran Ghanaian actress Grace Nortey has died at the age of 89, according to a reliable source.
Nortey died in the early hours of Wednesday, 26 August 2026, at the University of Ghana Medical Centre. Her death came just a few months before her 90th birthday.
She had marked her 89th birthday on 1 February and had spent more than five decades working in Ghana’s entertainment industry. Over that time, she became one of the country’s most recognisable figures on screen.
Nortey was particularly known for portraying outspoken and strong-willed matriarchs. Her characters were often authoritative women who challenged family expectations, patriarchy and wider social injustice.
That commanding presence made her a familiar figure to generations of Ghanaian viewers. Her performances frequently combined toughness with humour, while giving the characters she played a clear sense of authority.
Her work was not limited to Ghanaian television or local drama productions. Nortey appeared in the internationally acclaimed Ghanaian film Sinking Sands in 2011 and later featured in the 2015 Netflix war drama Beasts of No Nation.
Across a career lasting more than 50 years, she became associated with roles that reflected the strength, conflict and complexity of family and social life. Her contribution extended across Ghana’s screen and theatre traditions, helping establish her as one of the country’s veteran performers.
Nortey is survived by five children. Her daughter, Sheila Nortey, also entered the acting profession, continuing the family’s connection with Ghana’s entertainment industry.
Her grandson is married to celebrated Ghanaian broadcaster Berla Mundi.
Nortey’s death represents the loss of a performer whose work remained familiar to Ghanaian audiences for several generations. Through her television, film and theatre appearances, she helped shape the country’s entertainment landscape over several decades.
She was recognised for bringing authority and resilience to the women she portrayed, often placing them at the centre of disputes involving family traditions, social expectations and unfairness.
Her appearance in Sinking Sands linked her work to Ghanaian cinema’s international profile, while her role in Beasts of No Nation brought her to a global streaming audience. Those projects formed part of a career that reached beyond domestic television and local drama.
Nortey’s influence also continued through her family, with Sheila Nortey following her into acting. Her passing leaves behind a body of work spanning more than five decades and a legacy connected to the development of Ghanaian screen and theatre performance.
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