BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRO-GHANAIAN " FREDERICK CHRISTOPHER KWABENA GYEARBUOR ASANTE " WAS A GHANAIAN ACTOR BEST REMEMBERED FOR HIS ROLE IN DESMOND'S : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK GENIUS "

                     BLACK                  SOCIAL                   HISTORY                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Frederick Christopher Kwabena Gyearbuor Asante (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]

Life and career

Born in Accra, Asante came to the United Kingdom in 1967 and trained to be an actor at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. A "Gyearbuor Asante Prize for Acting" was subsequently instituted at the academy following his death.^[2] He appeared in a number ofBritish TV shows during the 1970s and 80s, 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 film Local Hero.^[3]

He returned to his birthplace Ghana in 1995 where he was made a Cultural Ambassador. He died in the capital city of Accra with his funeral held in his ancestral village of Tafo [Kwahu] in the Eastern Region of Ghana.^[4]