WHY I HID MY YORUBA IDENTITY FROM NOLLYWOOD – DESMOND ELLIOT

 When nollywood actor and producer, Desmond Elliot came out with Sola as his Yoruba name ahead of the 2015 Lagos State House of Assembly election, it was largely seen as a deliberate move to win sympathy from the electorate. But he carried on and won as a representative of Surulere Constituency. OLUSHOLA RICKETTS met with the actor turned-politician recently at a filmmakers’ forum in Lagos.

I am born of a Yoruba father, my mother is an Igbo, I grew up in the north and my wife is from Akwa Ibom.” The beauty of having a mixed background, is that it allowed him to appreciate different cultures and see everyone as the same even in our diversity. “It is also helpful in the field of film making and acting that I choose.”

From Sola Elliot to Desmond Elliot, they call me Sola at home, but I realized most producers then were from the east and I felt that using Sola could make things difficult. I didn’t really understand why I decided to use Desmond at that point.

It is not a stage name; it is my English name. That was how Sola Elliot changed to Desmond Eliot. If anyone calls me Sola now I know the person knows me from home, but if I hear the Desmond I know it is when I started acting.”

culled:hitz.ng