‏Elimu Nelson‏

Born in Orange, New Jersey, Elimu (prounounced E-lee-moo, meaning knowledge and education in Swahili) was destined for stardom from the very beginning. Raised in Milton, Massachusetts, the eldest of two he excelled in basketball and soccer at an early age and received numerous scholarship offers to division II and III schools while in high school. He opted to go to Syracuse academically and walked on the Men's Basketball Team in his third year. During this year he was the first walk on to play in the first half of a game in Syracuse history. He was also on Dick Vitale's ALL-WALK on team in his first year. A few years later he was rewarded with a Scholarship and was a part of the 1996 Final Four Runner Up Team. Elimu graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in Speech Communication, with a concentration in African American Studies and Spanish. After graduation he made his way to LA after a brief stint in NYC. Upon arriving in LA he hit the ground running with some commercial work and a guest spot on Pacific Blue and and the TNT feature Passing Glory. His bigger breaks came a few years in after working many odd jobs in the Los Angeles area. A guest spot on The Shield as Derek Tripp and a supporting role in Love Don't Cost a Thing as Dru Hilton brought him into millions of homes across the country and the world. Elimu has been working steadily ever since, notably Private Practice, Criminal Minds and recently The Game. Later in 2012 Elimu will be starring in the feature film, Things Never Said, opposite Shanola Hampton and Omari Hardwick. In addition to acting, Elimu wrote, produced and co starred in the short film titled, Doorways, which showed at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. An avid boxer, Elimu boxes 5-6 times a week, coaches acting as well as volunteering at Organizations such as Olive Crest and Second Harvest.