As Lafayette Reynolds, Nelsan Ellis brought sharp-eyed humanity to HBO’s hit ‘True Blood’<\/b>
\nNelsan Ellis, the actor best known for his portrayal of Lafayette Reynolds on HBO\u2019s \u201cTrue Blood, \u201d has died at 39. The reported cause was complications due to heart failure.
Ellis burst into popular consciousness with the show\u2019s debut in 2008. Introduced almost immediately, Lafayette was a flamboyant and outspoken short-order cook at Merlotte\u2019s Bar and Grill in the fictional town of Bon Temps, La. The character, who was gay, brought pointed humor to Alan Ball\u2019s acclaimed vampire drama, which many considered an analogy for the gay rights struggle.
Lafayette and Ellis became instant fan favorites. Lafayette was a key character through the seventh and final season of the series, which was based on novels by Charlaine Harris.
As news of Ellis\u2019 death quickly spread, a scene in which Lafayette he marches out from behind the griddle to confront a trio of homophobic diners was widely circulated on Twitter. In a statement, Ball called Ellis \u201ca singular talent whose creativity never ceased to amaze me. Working with him was a privilege.\u201d
HBO echoed Ball\u2019s sentiments in its own statement: \u201cWe were extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Nelsan Ellis. Nelsan was a long-time member of the HBO family whose groundbreaking portrayal of Lafayette will be remembered fondly within the overall legacy of True Blood. Nelsan will be dearly missed by his fans and all of us at HBO.\u201d
\u201cTrue Blood\u201d co-star Anna Paquin tweeted: \u201cIt was an utter privilege to work with the phenomenally talented and deeply kind soul. @OfficialNelsan I\u2019 m devastated by his untimely death.\u201d
Most recently, Ellis had joined the season five cast of CBS\u2019 \u201cElementary, \u201d playing Shinwell Johnson, a former drug dealer (and former patient of Lucy Liu \u2019s Watson) trying to find redemption.
Ellis was born in 1977 in Harvey, Ill., to a single mother. He moved to a poor suburb of Birmingham, Ala., where he was raised by his grandmother. As a teenager, he moved back to Illinois to live with his maternal aunt and attend Thornridge High School, where he discovered his love of acting.
After a brief stint in the United States Marines, Ellis enrolled at Illinois State University before being accepted, at age 21, to the Juilliard School of drama. He graduated with a bachelor of fine arts degree in 2004.
While at Juilliard, Ellis wrote a semi-autobiographical play, \u201cUgly, \u201d which was performed at the school and earned him a Martin E. Segal Award from Lincoln Center, which provides financial assistance and recognition to promising young artists.
Ellis appeared on the big screen in 2009 in \u201cThe Soloist\u201d alongside Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx, and in the Academy Award-winning film \u201cThe Help\u201d in 2011. He also played the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in \u201cLee Daniels\u2019 The Butler\u201d in 2013.
Octavia Spencer, who co-starred in \u201cThe Help, \u201d remembered Ellis in a tweet: \u201cJust got word that we lost @OfficialNelsan. My heart breaks for his kids and family.\u2026\u201d
Ellis\u2019 TV credits include the Fox series \u201cThe Inside, \u201d UPN\u2019s \u201cVeronica Mars\u201d and the HBO film \u201cWarm Springs\u201d with Kenneth Branagh, Cynthia Nixon and Kathy Bates.
Ellis is survived by seven siblings as well as his son, Breon.
jessica.gelt@latimes.com
Twitter: @jessicagelt<\/p>\n

\n

Similarity rank: 21<\/div>\n

Sentiment rank: -1<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

TW posts: 24<\/div>\n

TW reposts: 3<\/div>\n

TW likes: 3<\/div>\n

TW sentiment: 0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n