Beverly Afaglo, the award-winning Ghanaian actress has decried GenZs and Tiktok stars who have failed to accord due respect to celebrities and personalities in the entertainment industry who have paved the way for them.
Beverly who was a guest on the Ladies Circle on TV3 shared her two cents on the dynamics of fame, respect, and the distinction between celebrities and famous individuals.
According to her, there was enough space for every person to thrive but there is a need for mutual respect within the entertainment industry and society as a whole.
“Of course, there are spaces for everybody. I think for a minute sometimes I think Gen Zs don’t respect people but there are celebrities and there are popular people,” she revealed
READ MORE: Some producers may want us A-listers in their movies but they can’t afford it – Beverly Afaglo
Afaglo expressed her concern that some individuals from the younger generation, particularly Gen Z, may not fully appreciate the value and sacrifices made by those who paved the way in the entertainment industry.
While recognizing the popularity and influence of today’s social media-driven influencers, she stressed that being popular does not automatically grant one the status of a celebrity.
“There’s a difference between celebrities and popular people. In being an influencer you can be popular but you can’t call yourself a celebrity. What are we celebrating you for ??” she queried
Responding to a question by Ms Flava if she will be bothered if she was accused of being jealous of these TikTok stars, she replied in the negative. The ‘Game’ actress stated that her contributions to the industry and the quality of her craft cannot be derailed by a new face in the industry.
“I feel like if you are respected it doesn’t matter who is coming, we’ll all have a space. So it doesn’t matter if you are the one trending on TikTok, I just want them to respect people, who paved the way for them; people who gave them the platform to be where they are,” she indicated
She then added that fame and success were cyclical with trends and popularity changing over time thus individuals should remain humble and recognize that their time in the spotlight may be temporary.
Beverly Afaglo was of the view that many of these social media influencers may not fully appreciate the value and sacrifices made by those who paved the way in the entertainment industry
“There are times and seasons ooo,” she explained “This one too will pass and another thing too is coming. Another generation is coming to do something else and if you don’t respect people you came to meet how do you expect others to respect you”