By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use Privacy Policy. He was best known for playing the flamboyant short order cook, Lafayette, in the TV series, True Blood. Nelsan Ellis, the actor who starred on HBO's True Blood as the fan favorite Lafayette Reynolds, struggled with drug and alcohol abuse for years. He was married and had two children: a son Breon Ellis and a daughter who was just an infant at the time of Ellis untimely death. HBO released the following statement after hearing of Ellis passing. Required fields are marked *. Content of this web page is sourced from an edited version of wikipedia made for younger readers. He made his debut with a short role in the movie, Lost in the early 2000s. November 30 Horoscope. Many made assumptions about his sexuality and personal affairs because of his character on the show. He was a father, a son, a grandson, a brother, a nephew, and a great friend to those that were lucky enough to know him. Born in Harvey, IL. [22] In 2009, he was nominated for a Scream Award for Best Supporting Actor. [26][27] The Butler received mostly positive reviews from critics, with a 71% rating on the film critic aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, based on 171 reviews. Ellis is survived by his son, Breon, as well as his grandmother, Alex Brown, and his father, Tommie Lee Thompson, reports THR. It is his words that remind the audience how important Cecil, and other workers like him are, to our history. [12] Following this, Ellis attended Illinois State University. Would love your thoughts, please comment. He had $3 million net worth before death. In 2009, he was nominated for a Scream Award for Best Supporting Actor. died due to complications with heart failure,, actor struggled for years with alcohol and drug abuse. Further, his star sign is Sagittarius. HBO confirmed his death but did not specify the. He was also an alumnus of the Illinois State University. DIDDY AND THE GAMES KIDS HAVE BECOME BEAUTIFUL YOUNG GIRLS, KIM KARDASHIAN THROWS DAUGHTER, CHICAGO, A HELLO KITTY THEMED BIRTHDAY PARTY, STORM REID AND BOYFRIEND SHEDEUR SANDERS MAKE RED CARPET DEBUT, SOULJA BOY AND GIRLFRIEND JACKIE DOTE ON THEIR BABY IN NEW PHOTOS, KOBE BRYANT TALKS LATE NIGHT FEEDINGS WITH BIANCA AND MORE WITH 'EXTRA'. @OfficialNelsan I'm devastated by his untimely death. He had been reluctant to talk to anyone about his addiction because of his sense of shame. He died as a result of complications with heart failure. Ellis, who also had roles in The Butler, The Help and Veronica Mars, died Saturday after four days at New Yorks Woodhull Hospital, according to his familys statement. Nelsan Ellis, known affectionately by many for his role as Lafayette Reynolds on HBO 's True Blood, has died after complications from heart failure at age 39. Nelsan was a gentle, generous and kind soul. He played Margin Luther King, Jr., in Lee Daniels's 2013 film The Butler. Ellis won the Satellite Award from the International Press Academy in the best supporting actor category in 2008, and a year later, he won the NewNowNext Award. [7][8] When Ellis and his siblings were young, their mother, a single parent after her divorce, broke down after the death of her brother. [Ellis]. He was a gentle and humble soul. He had eight siblings: Alice Nellis, Babon Ellis, Lakeeia Thomson, Maurice Turne, Shaentika Beard, Tianna Thompson, Tommie Lee Thompson, and Yvonne Ellis. Since he played a gay character on the popular vampire fantasy series True Blood, fans have speculated about the actors sexuality. Nelsan was born in Harvey, Illinois on 30th November 1977. Your email address will not be published. [2] [3] Biografia. NEW YORK Actor Nelsan Ellis, best known for playing the character of Lafayette Reynolds on "True Blood," has died at the age of 39. Nelsan was a longtime member of the HBO family whose groundbreaking portrayal of Lafayette will be remembered fondly within the overall legacy of True Blood. Following his parents' divorce, Ellis and his mother moved to Alabama. Nelsan will be dearly missed by his fans and all of us at HBO.. [14] Ellis earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Juilliard in 2004.[15]. Aos seis anos, aps o divrcio de seus pais, Ellis e sua me mudaram-se para o Alabama. Ellis also had roles in films like Get on Up, The Help and Little Boxes. The actor spent four days in Woodhull Hospital before he died. He is also survived by his siblings Lakeeia Thomson, Tommie Lee. Nelsan Ellis, most famous for his long-running role as Lafayette Reynolds, the most fabulous queer line cook on the planet, on HBO's True Blood, has died at the age of 39. Official Sites. He was a great talent. 'Nelsan was ashamed of his. He staged the play while a student at Julliard, and received the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts' Martin E. Segal Award for his efforts. My heart breaks for his kids and family. Over the weekend it was reported that . More People From Illinois. But Ellis made it look so easy. His real breakthrough came when he signed for the part of Lafayette Reynolds in the hit TV series, True Blood. The former True Blood star was just 39 years old. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Nothing came his way for the next three years until he appeared in a television film Warm Springs as Roy Collier. Ellis attended Juilliard and, while there, wrote a semi-autobiographical play titled Ugly that was performed at the school and later won the Lincoln Center's Martin E. Segal Award. Elementary actor Nelsan Ellis has died. He played Margin Luther King, Jr., in Lee Danielss 2013 film The Butler. My heart breaks for his kids and family. Your email address will not be published. Nelsan Ellis was born in Harvey, Illinois, on November 30, 1977, to Tommie Lee Thompson and Jackie Ellis. If two women want to get married they should get married. [2] He also starred as Shinwell Johnson in Elementary from 2016 to 2017,[3] and played a variety of guest roles in other television series, including Veronica Mars and Without a Trace. He staged the play while a student at Julliard, and received the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts' Martin E. Segal Award for his efforts. Despite coming from a broken family, Ellis excelled in school. The cause of death was complications from heart failure, his manager, Emily Gerson . He portrayed the character of Shinwell Johnson, an ex-convict and gang member who was once a patient of Dr. Watson. Ex-Girlfriend, Who is Former Player-Scott Frost Wife? Nelsan Ellis was an award-winning American film and television actor and playwright, perhaps best known as Lafayette Reynolds on HBO's True Blood (2008). The performer passed. If you want to get married to a man then get married to a man. [31][32][33] His family released a statement on July 10, 2017, saying that he had an ongoing struggle with drug and alcohol abuse. Powered by. Remembering Chicago actor Nelsan Ellis, who died July 8. Young Nelsan almost ended up an educational discard. Ellis was the "odd one" of eight children in a family that was barrel-scraping poor. Ellis was notoriously private when it came to his personal life. Ellis died after complications from heart failure on July 8 . Nelsan Ellis, the actor who lit up the screen on HBO's vampire drama "True Blood," has died at age 39. Part of HuffPost Entertainment. Once they get me with the fake eyelashes and the eye makeup, I listen to some Rihanna and I'm there. Nelsan Ellis passed away suddenly at the age of 39 over the weekend and his family has decided to speak out about the circumstances surrounding his death. In casting Lafayette Reynolds, Alan Ball had concerns because the character's homosexuality would be a dominating trait. There isnt much information about his wife. After his parents divorced, he and his siblings became state wards. Actor Nelsan Ellis, who played the inimitable Lafayette Reynolds on HBO's True Blood, died of heart failure on Saturday at only 39 years old. In the days prior to his death, Ellis was attempting to withdraw from alcohol on his own; he was hospitalized due to serious complications from alcohol withdrawal syndrome, which resulted in his death. He had gone to rehab to stop taking drugs but could not do it. He followed this up with guest roles in Veronica Mars and Without a Trace, both in 2007. He eventually moved back to Chicago at age 15, and joined the Marines briefly at the age of 17. NEW YORK Actor Nelsan Ellis, best known for his memorable portrayal of Lafayette Reynolds on HBO's "True Blood," has died at the age of 39. . Nelsan Ellis was an award-winning American film and television actor and playwright, perhaps best known as Lafayette Reynolds on HBO's True Blood (2008). Bio, Son, Who is Emerald Robinson Husband? Remembering the inspiring life of Nelsan Ellis, @JuilliardSchool alum and 2004 Lincoln Center Martin E. Segal Awardee. Ellis portrayed the role of Eddie Sweat in the American biographical sports drama film Secretariat. Magazines, Digital Ellis had recently joined the cast of CBSs Elementary, in which he played a former drug dealer and former patient of Lucy Lius Joan Watson. Wrote the play "Ugly" about the devastating effects of domestic abuse after his sister Alice was shot by her husband in 2002. In The Butler, Ellis plays Martin Luther King Jr. Nelsan Ellis (November 30, 1977 - July 8, 2017) was an American actor and playwright.He achieved critical acclaim for his portrayal of Lafayette Reynolds in the HBO television series True Blood (2008-2014), for which he won a Satellite Award from the International Press Academy, among other accolades. [18] Nelsan Ellis said that it took him a few episodes to find the character. The first episode to air after Ellis' death, the season 6 premiere, ended with the screen "In Memory of Our Friend Nelsan Ellis". True Blood premiered on September 7, 2008, and concluded on August 24, 2014, comprising seven seasons and 80 episodes. My heart breaks for his kids and family." Ellis' TV credits include the Fox series "The Inside," UPN's "Veronica Mars" and the HBO film "Warm Springs" with Kenneth Branagh, Cynthia Nixon and. Nelsan and the printed page didn't hit it off. Hes not quick on his toes unless he gets heated. He also has two children, a son and a newborn daughter. He graduated in 1997 from this school in Dolton, Illinois. Your culture and entertainment cheat-sheet. Nelsan Ellis passed away on Saturday July 8th, 2017. Ellis, who played Lafayette Reynolds on the HBO vampire drama and Shinwell Johnson. Nelsan Ellis died of congestive heart failure. He died on July 8, 2017, in Los Angeles due to heart failure. Nelsan Ellis was an award-winning American actor and playwright who was best known for being cast as Carter Howard in The Inside (2005-2006), Lafayette Reynolds in True Blood (2008-2014), and Shinwell Johnson in Elementary (2016-2017). The news was confirmed by his manager, Emily Gerson Saines. Making his debut on the series' premiere episode, "Strange Love", in the series' first season, Nelsan plays the role of a medium and cook working at Merlotte's Bar and Grill in the small town of . Nelsan was born in Harvey, Illinois on 30 th November 1977. Don't miss a beat. 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