Elijah Kelley (born August 1, 1986) is an American actor, singer, and dancer. Kelley has appeared in the films Take the Lead (2006) and 28 Days (2000), and co-starred in the musical film re-adaptation of Hairspray (2007), in which he portrayed the character Seaweed J. Stubbs.

Life and career

Kelley was born and raised in LaGrange, Georgia, attending both Long Cane Middle School and Troup County High School, where he auditioned for and participated in the school's show choir for years.

As a child, Kelley starred in Coca-Cola commercials, and played a short role in the film, "Mamma Flora's Family." He also performed in a gospel band with his family as a child. Kelley's parents, determined to keep their son down to earth, moved with him when he set out for Los Angeles after graduating from high school.

In 2006, Kelley was cast in a film version of Hairspray released on July 20, 2007. Both Kelley's performance and the film have received positive reviews. He will next be seen in an upcoming biopic of Sammy Davis, Jr., in which he was chosen to portray the legendary title character. The film will focus on the younger days of Davis, Jr., tackling many racial issues (including his relationship with white actress Kim Novak) and his days in The Rat Pack.

He is the first choice to play Bobby Brown in the Untitled New Edition Biopic.

Kelley is a devout Christian.

Filmography

• Hairspray 2: White Lipstick (2010) .... Seaweed
• Red Tails (2009) .... Samuel 'Suicide' George
• Hairspray (2007) .... Seaweed
• Heavens Fall (2006) .... Leroy Wright
• Take the Lead (2006) .... Danjou
• Rome & Jewel (2006) .... Ben
• Numb3rs .... Anthony (1 episode, 2006)
• The OG (2006) TV episode .... Anthony
• Everybody Hates Chris .... Guy (1 episode, 2005)
• : "Everybody Hates the Babysitter" (2005) TV episode .... Guy
• The Shield .... Jaymon (1 episode, 2005)
• : "Grave" (2005) TV episode .... Jaymon
• 28 Days (2000) .... Darnell
• A Lesson Before Dying (1999) (TV) .... Clarence
• Mama Flora's Family (1998) (TV) .... Young Willie

Discography

Soundtracks

• 2007: Hairspray Soundtrack - July 10, 2007
• 2008: DisneyMania 6

Hairspray singles

• "Run and Tell That"
• "Come So Far"
• "Without Love"
• "You Can't Stop the Beat"

DisneyMania 6 singles

• "He Lives in You"

Semi-Pro

• "Shining Star"

Awards and nominations

Awards

• 2007 - Hollywood Film Award: Ensemble of the Year (shared with the rest of the Hairspray cast)
• 2007 - Young Hollywood Award: One to Watch in Hairspray

Nominations

• 2008 - Critics Choice Award: Best Song for Hairspray (2007) Shared With: Queen Latifah, Nikki Blonsky, Zac Efron-For the song "Come So Far".

References

External links

• (July 3, 2006). " Elijah Kelley to Play Seaweed in Hairspray Film". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved July 2, 2007.
• Interview with Elijah Kelley The Oregon Herald