Majid Michel, born on September 22, 1980, in Cantonments, Accra, is a Ghanaian actor known for his significant contributions to African cinema. He has received nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2017, ultimately winning the award in 2012 after three consecutive previous nominations.
Growing up in Cantonments, a suburb of Accra, Majid Michel is the son of a Lebanese father and a Ghanaian mother. He was raised in Accra alongside his nine siblings. He attended St. Theresa Primary School and later Mfantsipim School, the same alma mater as Van Vicker and former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. During his high school years, Michel was actively involved in theater and was a member of the school’s drama club. He was awarded the Best Actor prize during one of their performances on Emancipation Day in Cape Coast, Ghana.
Majid Michel is married and has three children. In November 19, 2015, he credited his wife of 10 years for his success, stating that she was his foundation and he acknowledges God before her. He renewed his wedding vows the same year.
Professionally, Majid Michel entered the entertainment industry by auditioning for a modeling agency, introduced by a neighbor. He was invited to join the Super Model Agency, an opportunity initiated by his next-door neighbor. He made his television debut in the series “Things We Do for Love” and earned the nickname “Shaker” on set. His role in the series was originally intended for a Lebanese boy, and Michel attributes landing the role to his Lebanese heritage.
The series “Things We Do for Love” became a success and catapulted him into the limelight. Following this success, he starred in his first film, “Divine Love,” as the lead male role alongside Jackie Aygemang as the lead female role, and with Van Vicker in a supporting role. All three used their roles in the film as a stepping stone in their careers. “Divine Love” was a massive success, turning Majid Michel, Jackie Agyemang, and Van Vicker into household names in Ghana.
In 2008, Michel played the lead role in the film “Agony of Christ,” which received seven nominations at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2009. In October 2017, Majid revealed that he was earning at least $15,000 for a film role, with some roles paying up to $35,000. In 2016, he explained that despite often playing romantic roles, he had never engaged in a sexual relationship with an actress. In October 2017, during a radio interview, Majid explained that due to his religious beliefs, he would no longer accept roles that required him to kiss on-screen.
Majid Michel is one of the Ghanaian actors who entered the film industry when Frank Rajah Arase signed a contract with Ghanaian Abdul Salam Mumuni of Venus Films. This contract essentially aimed to introduce Ghanaian actors into Nollywood’s mainstream film industry and give them star power comparable to Nigerian actors. Films produced under this contract included Michel in “Crime to Christ” (2007), “Agony of Christ” (2008), “Heart of Men” (2009), “The Game” (2010), and “Who Loves Me?” (2010), among others.
Michel made his debut in Nollywood with the 2009 romantic drama “Emerald,” playing a leading role alongside Genevieve Nnaji. While Majid’s performance and on-screen chemistry with Nnaji were praised, the film received mixed reviews. However, the 2009 film “Silent Scandals” brought Majid into the limelight in Nigeria. The film received widespread positive reviews for its high production values and Michel’s performance, as well as his strong chemistry with Genevieve Nnaji. In the same year, another film featuring Michel, “Guilty Pleasures,” was released. Upon its release, “Guilty Pleasures” garnered generally positive reviews, with Michel’s performance also being praised. He continued this successful streak in 2010, where he starred alongside Genevieve Nnaji once again in “Bursting Out,” a film that received mixed critical reviews.
Michel has been candid in the media about his early career in Nigeria. In an interview, he admitted that when he first met Genevieve, “everything was still”; he was so star-struck that he offered to carry her bag and be her personal assistant. In another interview, he stated that Genevieve Nnaji was the best kisser in the film industry. He also said in an interview that Genevieve taught him “how to act” and hinted, in another interview, that Ghana did not have a film industry. All these factors, along with the explicit roles he played in films, earned him controversies that surrounded him early in his career. By the end of 2010, it was reported that the actor was taking a break from Nigeria after allegedly receiving death threats from fellow Nigerians, who believed he was taking too many roles. During this time, he returned to Ghana, where he starred in films such as “4 Play” (2010) and its sequel “4 Play Reloaded” (2011).
In 2012, he starred in the war film “Somewhere in Africa,” portraying a tyrant. Although the film was not critically acclaimed, Michel’s performance in the lead role garnered him widespread success, and he won his first Africa Movie Academy Award. This reinvigorated his career once again in Nigeria, where he has since established himself as a star and featured in major Nigerian films. In 2014, he participated in “30 Days in Atlanta” for which he was ranked by the Nigerian Cinema Coalition as one of the top grossing box office stars of 2014. Other films in 2014 featuring Michel include “Forgetting June,” which received generally negative reviews. However, he also appeared in “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” and “Being Mrs. Elliot,” both of which had decent commercial and critical performances.
