Biographie
Elimu (pronounced E-lee-moo, meaning knowledge and education in Swahili) has been passionate about the fine arts, especially acting, since childhood. Born in Orange, NJ, and raised in Milton, Massachusetts, Elimu excelled in basketball and soccer early on. He received multiple scholarship offers in high school and chose to attend Syracuse University, where he became the first walk-on player to participate in the first half of a game in Syracuse history. Elimu graduated from Syracuse with a Bachelor of Science in Speech Communication, focusing on African American Studies and Spanish.
Best known for his role as heartthrob Dru Hilton in the hit film Love Don't Cost A Thing, his television credits include Modern Family, Castle, House of Lies, Criminal Minds, Hit The Floor, The Shield, and Private Practice.
In 2013, Elimu starred in the award-winning indie film Things Never Said alongside Starz's Power star Omari Hardwick. That same year, he had a leading role in the Lifetime movie Dear Secret Santa. He also wrote, produced, and co-starred in the short film Doorways, which screened at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. Additionally, Elimu co-starred in the 2016 horror movie Bleed, directed by the late Tripp Rhame, featuring a notable cast including 90210’s Michael Steger, Fresh Off the Boat’s Chelsey Crisp, and TMNT: Out of The Shadows’ Brittany Ishibashi.
In 2018, Elimu earned guest-starring roles on The Young & The Restless, Now We're Talking, ABC’s Station 19, and secured a significant recurring role on the NBC pilot Suspicion (aka No Way Back), starring Derek Luke.
2019 continued his momentum with a strong supporting lead role in Charles Murray’s award-winning indie feature #Truth, and a standout guest appearance on ABC’s hit show The Rookie, starring Nathan Fillion.
Poised for ongoing success, Elimu is only beginning to explore his potential. He currently lives in Los Angeles, CA, and trains in boxing 4-6 days a week at the prestigious Wildcard Boxing Gym. When not filming, he participates in charitable events, mentors youth through basketball clinics, and cherishes time with his son.
