Gyearbuor Asante
Ghanaian actor (1941–2000)
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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]
4 November 1941
Gyearbuor Asante | |
|---|---|
| Born | Frederick Christopher Kwabena Gyearbuor Asante Erskine 4 November 1941 Accra, Ghana |
| Died | 2 August 2000 (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 |
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 |
