Devale Ellis knows a thing or two about captaining your own ship.
The former NFL athlete turned actor, and perhaps the most viral Black dad on the gram, currently has a starring role as Zac in the BET x Tyler Perry Studio’s media darling Sistas. He sat down with Blavity for our Regarding video series and told us how his journey to Hollywood stardom was anything but easy despite all of the accolades he's acquired. He also shared his beautiful journey through love, fatherhood and family.
Ellis cut his teeth as a commercial actor, being featured in over seven national campaigns. He parlayed that experience into primetime parts with shows like Power, The Blacklist and Gotham. The roles proved to be a blessing and a curse as his physique left him with a familiar type-cast: the Black muscle man in the jail jumpsuit.
It was those jobs, and his commitment to his sons, that made him reevaluate the parts he was accepting. He remembers how his family was awaiting one of his scenes in Power, when his son Jackson said, “Man, you always have on that orange jumpsuit.”
The comment struck a chord with Ellis. Reflecting on playing the role of a criminal, Ellis said, “I’m tired of doing this.”
His previous roles are why he says playing Zac in Sistas is so powerful.
“The last thing I said I wanted to be was a criminal on TV, again," Ellis told Blavity. "So then I get the role in Sistas and Zac’s character has been in and out of jail. He’s dealing with recidivism. Which to me is ironic. I love it because it tells the deeper side of the story. He’s not just a criminal, he’s a young Black man who’s trying to get his life together."
“The whole show Sistas is ultimately about the Black millennial women and the sisterhood they create with each other,” Ellis continued.
But Sistas isn’t just about women. Black millennial men are also centered in the dialogue, and Ellis' role as Zac makes that evident.
“It’s also about the men in the show and showing the dynamic between millennial Black women and millennial Black men and how we’re trying to exist and live together while both trying to get the American dream in a system that’s not designed for Black millennial Americans,” Ellis said.
He had played a thug and a gangster, but acting in those roles kept Ellis beneath the glass ceiling. He wanted to create his own narratives — so he teamed up with his wife Khadeen Ellis and did it. The two have a podcast and a YouTube channel and combined have an audience of hundreds of thousands of fans who appreciate their approach to love and parenting. They also have TV shows in development. Ellis credits his wife, and biggest supporter, for nurturing his dreams into a reality.
“I’ma to take y’all back to 2003. And I'll never forget Martin was on TV, and Kadeen was just like, 'So, what do you want to do?' That. I want to be on TV. … I want to have my own show," he responded in a moment of vulnerability.
Instead of admonishment, Khadeen simply asked how he would accomplish his dreams. Such faith and strategy have become the basis of the Ellis household and brand.
The Ellis brand is spearheading content for married, Black millennial fathers and those who don't see that archetype enough. Ellis began to document the birth of his second son, Kairo, and he realized it was bigger than skits. When he read the comments on their videos, he realized people weren’t used to seeing Black fatherhood. The comments on his posts about regular things (i.e. changing diapers), showed Ellis being met with such awe, and their channel took off.
That said, Ellis doesn’t want credit for being a father. It’s all part of the territory.
“What better way can I inspire the masses than to be a great dad?”
Watch Ellis' full interview with Blavity below:
