Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

Elijah Kelley

Highest Rated: 92% Hairspray (2007)

Lowest Rated: 19% Strange Magic (2015)

Birthday: Aug 1, 1986

Birthplace: LaGrange, Georgia, USA

Georgia native Elijah Kelley is an African-American performer most widely known for his role as Seaweed J. Stubbs in the 2007 feature musical adaptation of John Waters' "Hairspray." Kelley's first significant screen role was portraying a younger version of Blair Underwood's character in the 1998 TV movie "Mama Flora's Family." The following year, he appeared in another period television drama, "A Lesson Before Dying," featuring Don Cheadle and Mekhi Phifer, and played a supporting part in the big-screen drama "28 Days," starring Sandra Bullock. After a series of one-off TV spots, including guest appearances on the crime series "The Shield" and the comedy show "Everybody Hates Chris," Kelley was featured in the dance-oriented drama "Take the Lead," with Antonio Banderas and Alfre Woodard. In 2007, Kelley won his signature role, as Seaweed, an accomplished dancer in the big-screen remake of "Hairspray," which proved to be a sizable hit. Following a supporting part in "Rome & Jewel," an inner-city update of William Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet," and a guest spot on the TV drama "Dirty Sexy Money," Kelley took a break from screen acting, but resurfaced in 2012's "Red Tails," a World War II-era film produced by George Lucas and co-starring fellow up-and-coming black actors Tristan Wilds and Nate Parker.

Show Less Show More

Highest rated movies

92% 84% Hairspray
Watchlist
80% 77% A Lesson Before Dying
Watchlist
71% 78% Lee Daniels' The Butler
Watchlist
44% 77% Take the Lead
Watchlist
40% 57% Red Tails
Watchlist
19% 53% Strange Magic Watchlist
Heaven Burns
Watchlist
Vacation!
Watchlist
Pigeon
Watchlist
11% Rome & Jewel
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Pigeon Director,
Screenwriter,
Producer
- 2023
No Score Yet 92% 59 Seconds Executive Producer - 2016
19% 53% Strange Magic Sunny (Voice) $12.4M 2015
71% 78% Lee Daniels' The Butler Charlie Gaines (Character) $116.6M 2013
40% 57% Red Tails Samuel "Joker" George (Character) $49.9M 2012
No Score Yet No Score Yet Vacation! Executive Producer - 2010
No Score Yet No Score Yet Heaven Burns Executive Producer - 2010
92% 84% Hairspray Seaweed J. Stubbs (Character) $118.8M 2007
44% 77% Take the Lead Danjou (Character) $34.7M 2006
No Score Yet 11% Rome & Jewel Ben (Character) - 2006
80% 77% A Lesson Before Dying Clarence (Character) - 1999

TV

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Tales Paul (Character) 2019
No Score Yet 75% Lee Daniel's Star Andy (Guest Star) 2017-2018
100% 93% The New Edition Story Ricky Bell (Character) 2017
No Score Yet No Score Yet Harry Guest 2017
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Wendy Williams Show Guest 2015 2017
No Score Yet No Score Yet 106 & Park Unknown (Character) 2012
68% No Score Yet Dirty Sexy Money Elon Elder (Guest Star) 2009
No Score Yet 93% Numb3ers Anthony (Guest Star) 2006
96% 98% Everybody Hates Chris Guy (Guest Star) 2005