[5] His mother, Bertha May Walcott, was English, and his father Joseph Boakye "J.B." Danquah was a Ghanaian politician and traditional aristocrat; Paul was the eldest of his many children from two marriages and various relationships.

He subsequently worked as a consultant with the World Bank until his retirement in 1986,[2][4] and while living in Washington befriended African-American arts practitioners including Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Roberta Flack and Nina Simone.

[7] While still a student, Danquah made his acting debut in the British film A Taste of Honey (1961), featuring in the role of Jimmy.

[9] A review in The New York Times noted: "Paul Danquah in his movie debut as the Negro sailor, is gentle and subtle in a small but demanding role".

[4][13] During this period, in late 1961, Danquah arranged for Don Bachardy to draw Bacon.