Dale Elliott Jr grateful for US honours

“It’s funny how life works,” Jamaican comedian and digital creator Dale Elliott Jr reflected after receiving two honours on October 25. The Sprinter actor was presented with an official resolution from the Boston City Council, offered by Councillor Brian Worrell, and a citation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives, offered by State Representative Christopher J. Worrell, while in Boston for a performance at Laugh Boston. The honours recognised his work using humour and storytelling to showcase Jamaican life and culture.

“To be real, I’m not an awards kind of guy. It’s hard to explain, but I don’t do this for awards. I have things I want to accomplish and milestones I want to reach. If awards come along with the work, then I’m thankful,” he told The Gleaner.

Despite his usual reluctance to focus on accolades, Elliott Jr said the occasion gave him reason to pause and reflect on how far he had come.

“When someone lists my achievements or recognises my accomplishments, that’s usually when I stop and realise how far I’ve come. In all honesty, I don’t really know how to accept awards. For me, it’s more of a ‘smile and wave’ moment.”

Still, once the excitement settled, he admitted that being recognised for years of dedication to his craft felt good.

“It’s good to know people are seeing the work I’ve been putting in over the years. I’m not the type of person to sit and reflect on everything I’ve done. My obsession with the craft keeps my head down and keeps me doing what I love.”

However, Elliott Jr said he found even greater joy in knowing that the recognition captured the different stages of his career.

“What makes it special to me is that they acknowledged everything from my role in Sprinter to my stand-up and international tours. As somebody from Jamaica, having our stories connect with people and be recognised at both the city and state levels is something I’m proud of.”

For Elliott Jr, the two recognitions are not only a reminder of why he started but also an indication that “talent, research and discipline can pay off”.

He further added:

“These citations show that I’ve taken a style of comedy that Jamaica, as a whole, isn’t widely known for, and shared it with millions of people around the world. Being able to share my culture and life experiences, both in Jamaica and the US, and have people relate to them internationally, is a testament to the natural talent Jamaicans possess.”

In reflecting on his performances, he laughingly recalled the many people from different backgrounds turning out to hear him perform, and how he sometimes had to find his little twang.

“I see people from different races and cultures coming out to hear me talk about the everyday life of an immigrant — the Jamaican turned foreigner. Sometimes I have to ‘twang’ so everyone can understand me, or speak my ‘Bob Marley English’ to make sure everyone is involved!”

With two new honours under his belt, Elliott Jr is already looking ahead, with his focus now on his official comedy special, Son of an Immigrant, which is set for release during the Christmas season and will be available to audiences in Jamaica and internationally.

“I’ll be releasing my official comedy special. It’s produced by Rob Maylor, who produced Sprinter and whose other credits include Bob Marley: One Love, Black Cake and Get Millie Black. It’s directed by Wesley ‘Wuz Good’ Armstrong, whose directing work includes Kevin Hart’s MasterClass and the short film Vigilante. I’m going to put it out there: this comedy special is the one thing in my life that I’m most proud of, and I can’t wait for everyone to see it!”

Looking back on his journey and what inspired him to pursue comedy, Elliott Jr said his motivation has always been rooted in a simple desire to make people laugh.

“I just want to make people laugh. It started with my day-to-day experiences in Jamaica and the environment I grew up in. The more I travelled and experienced different things, the more I began to realise that making people laugh is a talent I can carry with me for the rest of my life.”

In the meantime, the comedian told The Gleaner that he plans to extend his Funny How Life Works tour into next year, with stops planned for the United Kingdom, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, the Caribbean and other parts of Europe, with hopes of bringing the tour home to Jamaica.

entertainment@gleanerjm.com