Elijah Kelley

Elijah Kelley Character in Red Tails Samuel “Joker” George The Actor: Elijah Kelley is a multifaceted performer, best known for his performance as Seaweed in the critically acclaimed blockbuster musical Hairspray. He also performed a dancing and singing role in the dance-themed drama Take the Lead. The Song: Kelley recently wrote, produced, and sang “Lightyears” the official song for Red Tails. “The song embodies the mood of the movie and what it stands for. I was able to craft the track and write the song in a way that I really feel pays homage to the Airmen. I hope that we can push it so that it lives beyond the movie and goes on to do well. “ The Character: “My character is a balance between levity and seriousness. He’s young and vibrant, but he has a wife and child back home and he wants to stay true to them. My character brings a smile to everybody’s faces. That’s a big responsibility, because it’s a serious movie and you never want the message to get lost. But, you do want people to remember that these guys were young and they did have fun.” The Significance of Red Tails:“This is American history, not only African American history. There are so many generations that are not familiar with these incredibly courageous, brave an intelligent men. I feel special, honored, blessed, humbled to be even mentioned in the same breath as them. These men were superheroes. They were trailblazers.” And I'd like to continue they're blueprint of trail blazing by being this type of entertainer