Richmond Xavier Amoakoh, famously known as Lawyer Nti, has stated that he discovered his passion for acting during his senior high school (SHS) years.
He gained popularity through his portrayal of the character in the well-known TV series Kejetia vs Makola, which humorously depicts Ghana’s legal and judicial system.
“The first time I saw my colleagues act on stage was when I was in senior secondary school,” he said, adding: “The feeling I got, I just knew this is for me.”
He noted that he was “a very good Business student,” at the time, but he went to see his assistant headmaster and informed him that he believed acting “was what I think I should be doing”.
“I should be acting, I should be focusing on acting and directing so that’s what I want to pursue,” he remembered telling the school official.
According to Richmond Xavier Amoakoh, the assistant headmaster at his senior high school (SHS) informed him about his options if he wanted to pursue acting as a career. He was told that he could choose between the University of Media, Arts and Communication’s (UniMAC) National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) and the University of Ghana’s (UG) School of Performing Arts.
Amoakoh expressed a preference for UG, Legon, over NAFTI because he was unfamiliar with the latter. Additionally, he believed that UG was prestigious and a school that his mother would approve of, despite knowing that changing his course of study would lead to controversial conversations at home.
Before taking his official “form-three examinations” in SHS, Amoakoh decided to write the popular November-December (Nov-Dec) remedial examination. Although he achieved excellent results, he chose not to immediately pursue university education.
“My first [real] acting was in the School of Performing Arts,” he mentioned, noting he was “raw” unlike his mates who had prior experience in acting.
According to Richmond Xavier Amoakoh, he approached his acting journey with the mindset of being open to learning and being molded. He expressed the attitude of “I’ve come, train me, shape me,” and he acknowledged that the school he attended fulfilled that role.
When Nana Kwesi Asare asked Lawyer Nti about which of his parents he believes he inherited his acting talent from, Amoakoh’s response is not mentioned in the given context.
“I think it’s God,” he answered.
“Well, my mother too has some talent,” he added, explaining: “She can mimic people so well.”
According to Richmond Xavier Amoakoh, he believes that his mother has a talent for doing impressions of others, particularly imitating their voices.