Who Is Desmond Elliot? – Age Milestones and Biography of the Nollywood Star-Turned-Politician

Desmond Elliot (Born: February 4, 1974, Age: 49) is a Nigerian movie actor, producer, director and politician who was elected to serve as a Lagos State lawmaker in 2015.

Desmond Elliot has achieved several milestones. He first delved into the Nigerian movie scene in 2002, making a cameo appearance on the set of Jesu Mushin before landing major roles. Despite only launching his career in the entertainment world after a friend advised him, Desmond found his forte in acting, and today, he is one of the most prolific actors in the industry. He also does some work as a producer.

When we thought we had already seen the best of Desmond Elliot, the Nollywood movie star joined politics. He later won an election in 2015 to become a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly. From 2015 to date, the actor has been relevant in Nigerian politics, and from what is obvious, he has come to stay. His greatest aspiration is to one day emerge as the governor of Lagos State.

Summary of Desmond Elliot’s Bio

  • Full name: Oluwashola Desmond Elliot (ODE)
  • Gender: male
  • Date of birth: February 4, 1974
  • Desmond Elliot’s Age: 49
  • Ethnicity: Yoruba
  • Nationality: Nigerian
  • Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
  • Sexual Orientation: Straight
  • Religion: Christianity
  • Marital Status: Married
  • Desmond Elliot’s Wife: Victoria Elliot
  • Desmond Elliot’s Children: 4 (Denzel Elliot, Desmond Elliot Jr. Donald Elliot, and Dawn Elliot)
  • Desmond Elliot’s Parents: Pa Ezekiel Elliot
  • Siblings: Chinedu Elliot, Femi Elliot, Funmilola Elliot, and Shegun Elliot
  • Desmond Elliot’s Net worth: $5 million
  • Famous for: Acting credits and political views
  • Desmond Elliot’s Instagram: @desmondelliot
  • Twitter: @DesmondOElliot
  • Facebook: Desmond Elliot

Desmond Elliot’s Early Life and Family Background

Born on the 4th of February 1974, the Nollywood movie actor turned politician is of mixed ethnicity. His dad has been identified as Pa Ezekiel Elliot, AKA Sunny Boy of Texas, a Yoruba man from Olowogbowo, Lagos Island. His mum, on the other hand, is a Niger Deltan who hails from Illah in Oshimili North, Delta State. Though the records captured his place of birth as Lagos, Desmond Elliot spent a better part of his formative year in the northern part of Nigeria, precisely in Plateau State’s capital city, Jos.

Pa Ezekiel Elliot happens to be a polygamous man with two wives, and a total of 11 children. While it is not clear if Desmond’s mum was the first or second, she gave birth to five of her husband’s children, namely Chinedu, Femi, Funmilola, Shegun, and of course Desmond Elliot.

The Actor’s Educational Background

The details of Desmond Elliot’s academic history are all in the open. According to kept records, “the film boy” as colleagues fondly call him, had his early education in Jos. First, he joined Air Force Primary School Jos, graduating with a first school leaving certificate. For his secondary school education, he passed through St. John’s College, Jos – one of the prestigious academic institutions located in the city.

To satisfy his quest for further academic qualifications, Elliot gained admission into Lagos State University, LASU, where he studied economics, graduating in 2003 with a BSC. On whether his course of study helped his career in any way, one would be far from the truth to say that a degree in Economics impacted an acting profession. Clearly, Desmond’s success in acting is from sheer inborn talent. Going into politics, the actor seems to be holding his own in the rough political terrain in Nigeria. It may not have much to do with his course of study, but Elliot obviously has a knack for it.

 

Desmond Elliot Was 28 When He Graced The Screen For The First Time

As already mentioned, Desmond Elliot became an actor after he was prompted by a friend. He was just 28 when his friend urged him to try his hands at acting. Heeding the advice, he made his debut onscreen appearance in 2002, playing a cameo in the Nollywood movie, Jesu Mushin. The role created an inroad for Desmond to appear in soap operas and television series like Everyday People, Saints, and Sinners, One Too Much, and a lot of others.

Today, the movie star’s acting portfolio is overflowing with more than 200 movie credits, including the popular Yahoo Millionaire, Men Who Cheat, and Atlanta. With time, the Yoruba actor came to discover his talent behind the camera as a producer and director. His debut directorial credit was witnessed in the movie Uyai. Subsequently, Desmond became the co-producer and co-director of Reloaded; this was counted among his most successful productions in Nollywood.

Reloaded, which hit the movie stands in 2008, took the actor to another level of fame and earned him three African Movie Academy Awards nominations in 2009. In the same vein, the Nigeria Entertainment Awards of 2009 and 2010 made him a nominee in the category of the Best Actor.

Desmond Elliot has also directed other blockbusters like Lagos Cougar, Guilty Pleasure, Finding Mercy, Bursting Out, Knocking on Heaven’s Door, and others. In addition to his movies winning prestigious awards and emerging as nominees, the actor himself has equally attracted some really cool awards, including the Nigerian Entertainment Awards and AMVCA.

Elliot Was In His 40s When First Tested The Turbulent Waters Of The Nigerian Political Scene

Desmond Elliot was all of 41 when he took the conscious decision to explore other fields and his baton fell on politics. In September 2014, he declared interest in politics as an advocate of the policy, “not too young to run”. Joining the All Progressive Congress party, Elliot made a bid to enter the Lagos State House of Assembly, vying to represent the Surulere constituency. Since he was declared winner in April 2015, the moviemaker has retained the seat to date.

Desmond Elliot obviously believes in his ability to deliver as he sees himself as a grassroots politician with the capacity to represent his constituency well. He said the projects he has already executed and the ones in the pipeline speak for themselves.

Long before delving into Politics, Elliot contested to become an ambassador for the Face of Hope Project. He reached out to the grass-root through the Desmond Elliot Foundation – an NGO charged with the responsibility of disseminating information on sanitation, hygiene, as well as other health-related issues that are prevalent in the country.

Though he was already in the limelight as an actor, making a foray into politics gave Desmond Elliot more exposure. More importantly, he became the talk of the town for the thoughtless comment he made during the End SARS protest when he spoke against social media. Though he later came out to render his apologies, his words already took root among the Nigerian youth, giving rise to what is fast becoming a cliché “Na Desmond Elliot cause am”. The statement further attracted backlash from celebs like Davido and Skales.

Desmond Elliot Still Has Interests In The Entertainment World Even After Joining Politics

When he surfaced on the political scene, fans actually believed that it would mean the end of his career in the entertainment world. However, going by what is perceivable, the movie star turned politician is successfully joggling both. In an interview session, Desmond Elliot let on how he has been joggling both acting and politics. According to him, he doesn’t do the actual acting but his movie production company is still producing films. That, he said, is his own way of ensuring that Nollywood is growing.

Seeing both fields as highly demanding, Elliot said he regards himself as someone with inborn acting talent, however, he had to make way for his political career by downplaying on acting. Presently, 90% of his time and attention is on politics but he has not forgotten his acting roots.

 

Chacha O
Chacha O
Chacha is a writer with a wealth of experience who has contributed across several channels. Her specialty includes celebrity lifestyle including how top movie stars, musicians, and comedians live their lives.

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