... privilege to work with the phenomenally talented and deeply kind soul [email protected] I'm devastated … The second season of the television series True Blood commenced airing in the United States on June 14, 2009, concluded on September 13, 2009, and contains 12 episodes. Stunned, devastated by the terrible news of @OfficialNelsan's passing. The actor was known for his role as the character Lafayette Reynolds in the HBO show. * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. Sometimes an unexpected "celebrity" death hits us particularly hard. At Sookie and Lafayette's behest, Pam turns Tara into a vampire. Nelsan Ellis, who played sassy short-order cook Lafayette Reynolds on HBO's True Blood, has died at 39 of complications from heart failure. He was also a playwright and a stage director. He studied at Illinois State University before getting his BFA at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City. Recalled by many as talented and underrated, Ellis became a True Blood fan-favorite for his portrayal of the scene-stealing, gay short order cook at Merlotte’s Bar in the fictional Louisiana town. Deborah Ann Woll. He died due to complications from heart failure, Variety reported. Tributes paid to ‘genius and beautiful soul’ after actor who played Lafayette Reynolds suffers complications from heart failure, First published on Sat 8 Jul 2017 17.28 EDT. Sending love to his family. Supernatural. Following his parents' divorce, Ellis and his mother moved to Alabama. He takes care of his loved ones, no matter what strange problems they have. House. He later attended the Juilliard performing arts school in New York City. Family Guy. In 2005, he starred in the television film Warm Springs. Ellis’s co-stars and others reacted to his death over the weekend with photos and memories. It is produced by HBO in association with Ball's production company, Your Face Goes Here Entertainment. HBO. While at Juilliard, he won the Lincoln Center’s Martin E. Segal Award for his semi-autobiographical play Ugly. Pam enters Sookie's house looking for Eric, and sees the dead bodies of Debbie and Tara on the floor. TV Show. While the sentiment went over well with some fans, others were a little more hesitant on the show returning, especially in light of actor Nelsan Ellis' death in 2017, who played Lafayette Reynolds — a short order cook, medium, and major character on the HBO original series. Meanwhile, Maryann bails Tara out of jail and lets her stay at her posh mansion. Nelsan was a genius and a beautiful soul. It premiered on September 7, 2008 with … This is your last free article. You can unsubscribe at any time. Subscribe for just $18. The season had an abbreviated run of ten episodes, as opposed to the usual twelve, partially to accommodate the pregnancy of lead actress Anna Paquin. “Nelsan will be dearly missed by his fans and all of us at HBO.”, True Blood’s creator, Alan Ball, called Ellis “a singular talent whose creativity never ceased to amaze me. Still, characters like Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) and Hoyt (Jim Parrack) are perfect candidates to cover in a revival. I don’t know how else to put words to this terribly sad news…”. The firecracker of sassy wit that is Lafayette Reynolds kicks the bucket at the very end of the first book. The season 2 opener follows the end of Dead Until Dark very faithfully, in that Sookie finds a dead body in a cop car in the parking lot of Merlotte’s. Amazon.com. TV Show. If you watch Lafayette, he doesn’t do very much. In the season 4 finale, Tara is shot in the head by Debbie. Game of Thrones. “Nelsan was a long-time member of the HBO family whose groundbreaking portrayal of Lafayette will be remembered fondly with the overall legacy of True Blood. He is suspicious and went through a lot in his life. Ellis won a Satellite Award in 2008 for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his True Blood role. You will be missed. I knew 'True Blood' wasn't going to hold back in its final season, but I just never expected the show to actually kill off a main character so terribly. Working with him was a privilege.”. Nelsan Ellis, best known for his role as Lafayette Reynolds on HBO’s True Blood, has died at age 39. From 2005 to 2006, he played the recurring role of Carter Howard in the television series The Inside. The Walking Dead. At first, he said, he was playing the role as a caricature and was told to “go back to the drawing board and figure it out”. On HBO's True Blood, Ellis played Lafayette Reynolds, a short-order cook, medium, and vampire blood dealer. The show is broadcast on the premium cable network HBO in the United States. You have 1 free article left. HBO released a statement saying the network was “extremely saddened” by Ellis’s death. Tara is wary about trusting Maryann, but enjoys living in her luxurious home. Author Charlaine Harris on the End of True Blood, Viewer Backlash, and ‘Fabulous’ Lafayette He’s just in that Southern way — sort of sauntering along, being who he is, which is something I never intended. Lafayette chained in the basement of Fangtasia. So out of respect, excluding Ellis' character from the new story would be the right way to go. Subscribe for just $18. Kristin Bauer. The series revolves around Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), a telepathic waitress living in the fictional rural town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. He followed this up with guest roles in Veronica Mars and Without a Trace, both in 2007. The Illinois-born actor played Lafayette, a gay short order cook, on the HBO drama from 2008 to 2014, and more recently appeared in the CBS detective series Elementary. An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. Also among those paying tribute to him were his True Blood co-stars Aisha Hinds, Michael McMillian, Lauren Bowles and Kristin Bauer. Sookie screams after seeing that Lafayette had fallen under the Maenad's power. It is loosely based on the second novel of The Southern Vampire Mysteries, Living Dead in Dallas.. Despite partaking in very illegal activities to make ends meet, he's a good person at heart, and is careful not to harm his customers with the drugs he deals. He’s not quick on his toes unless he gets heated. ... How do we describe True Blood’s Lafayette, played by … You have a limited number of free articles. “Even I was watching myself and criticizing myself — I go, ‘I like that dude,’” he said. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our. The character was killed off in the books but survived all seven seasons of the TV show due to Ellis's popularity. tarte cosmetics. Bored to Death. Sun 9 Jul 2017 04.26 EDT 4,474 The actor Nelsan Ellis, best known for his portrayal of Lafayette Reynolds on HBO’s series True Blood, has died at the age of 39. Six Feet Under. He débuts in the first episode of the first season. Sookie Stackhouse. Sookie picks her up from a pool of her own blood, cradling her and screaming for help. Why We're Rethinking Postfeminist Pop Culture. True Blood is an American fantasy horror drama television series produced and created by Alan Ball.It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries, a series of novels by Charlaine Harris.. Nelsan will be dearly missed by his fans and all of us at HBO.”. He died due to complications from heart failure, Variety reported. True Blood is an American television drama horror series created and produced by Alan Ball. The sixth season of the HBO supernatural drama series True Blood premiered on June 16, 2013. He played Margin Luther King, Jr., in Lee Daniels’s 2013 film The Butler. The actor Nelsan Ellis, best known for his portrayal of Lafayette Reynolds on HBO’s series True Blood, has died at the age of 39. Harris is the author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels. It is also the first season not to be primarily based on the corresponding novel in The Southern Vampire Mysteries series (in this case Definitely … Some fans tweeted one of his more famous scenes as Lafayette, in which the character marches out of the kitchen to confront some bigoted diners. By signing up you are agreeing to our, How the Makers of Murder Among the Mormons Unraveled the Mysterious Story Behind the 1985 Salt Lake City Bombings, Underwater Noise Pollution Is Disrupting Ocean Life—But We Can Fix It. TVLine. Maryann briefly acknowledges his death before returning her attention to Lafayette. Sons of Anarchy. Lafayette Reynolds Died In True Blood's Book Series Lafayette Reynolds ( Nelsan Ellis ) was an openly gay cook at Merlotte's. 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). ... Nelsan Ellis was best known for playing the demon-possessed medium Lafayette Reynolds on True Blood. A terrible loss for all of us. At the time we may not know why, and some I still don't. It is based on the Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris. Please try again later. You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. Subscribe for just $18. Ellis had recently joined the cast of CBS’s Elementary, in which he played a former drug dealer and former patient of Lucy Liu’s Joan Watson. We just chatted up True Blood star Stephen Moyer and asked him about the future of Nelsan Ellis' brilliant Lafayette, and Moyer said, "Lafayette, I can't talk about. True Blood’s Nelsan Ellis is dead at the age of 39, according to Daily Variety.. Any fan of True Blood knows, vampires are insanely, almost ridiculously, fast. In the skit, Muppet Sookie struggles to fulfill Muppet Bill's pleas for a pint of "True Mud", as the other characters speculate whether or not he is a "grouch". All Rights Reserved. Nelsan was born on November 30, 1977, in Harvey, Illinois, the son of Jackie Ellis and Tommie Lee Thompson. 'True Blood' Actor Nelsan Ellis Died of Heart Failure at 39 - Rolling … He gave Lafayette’s troubles and occasional triumphs emotional depth. TV Show. “Once I started to act like my Mama, my fourth audition, I got the part,” he said. In fact, the character is so loved by fans that True Blood show runners decided to gloss over his death in Charlaine Harris’ first Sookie Stackhouse novel and keep him on for another three seasons (at least! He eventually moved back to Chicago at age 15, and joined the Marines briefly at the age of 17. He and the rest of the cast won the Satellite Award for Best Ensemble in 2009. Ellis also had roles in films like Get on Up, The Help and Little Boxes. Ellis’s character was lauded for breaking stereotypes of gay men. Ellis’ manager, Emily Gerson Saines, confirmed the actor’s death on Saturday. 1 History 2 Powers and Abilities 2.1 Powers 2.2 Abilities 3 Appearances 4 Trivia 4.1 Behind the Scenes 5 References This article or section needs more history!You can help out the True Death Wikia by updating or adding to the history of this … Thank you for reading TIME. Bauer wrote on Instagram: “One of the sweetest most talented men I’ve ever met. Though the character did not survive in the books, Ellis’s memorable portrayal of Lafayette kept him in the series, according to the Hollywood Reporter. "Well it won't have Lafayette so whats the point," one fan wrote. July 9, 2017 11:33 AM EDT Nelsan Ellis, best known for his role as Lafayette Reynolds on HBO’s True Blood, has died at age 39. The Hollywood Reporter, which was first to report Ellis’s death, quoted her as saying he had died from complications of heart failure. © 2021 TIME USA, LLC. TV Show. His relationship was most prominent with Sookie and his cousin, Tara, who is Sookie's best friend throughout the series. ). Ellis began his acting career in the early 2000s, with a role in the short film Lost. Nelsan Ellis as Lafayette Reynolds in True Blood, 2008. Ellis was born in Harvey, Ill. in 1977 before he and his siblings moved to Alabama. Lafayette Reynolds is a flamboyant, charismatic character with a sharp tongue and a dark sense of humor. Reps for the actor have confirmed that Ellis died due to complications from heart failure. The second season explores telepath Sookie Stackhouse's relationship with her vampire lover, Bill Compton. He then began to channel his mother. Rest In Peace Nelsan. Lafayette is a flamboyant, charismatic gay man. “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,” the statement read. Born in Harvey, Illinois, Ellis attended Thornridge high school, where he credited teachers with instilling in him a love of theatre. “My heart breaks for his kids and family,” she wrote. In a 2012 TV interview in Chicago, Ellis recalled that it took four auditions for him to win the role of Lafayette. “I felt like an alien, and I struggled the first couple of years. He is portrayed by starring cast member Nelsan Ellis. He orders her to change into a dress before bringing her downstairs to Maryann where she is appointed the Maid of Honor. It is set two years after the invention of a synthetic blood product branded “Tru … Actor and one of the main stars of the show Nelsan Ellis has passed away at the young age of 39. TV Show. In the same year, Ellis won the “Brink of Fame” award for up-and-coming actors at the NewNowNext Awards. "Nelsan was a gentle, generous and kind soul." He also appeared in The Help, and his fellow cast member Octavia Spencer mourned his death on Instagram. Please attempt to sign up again. Ellis appeared as Martin Luther King Jr. in Lee Daniels’ film The Butler and as singer Bobby Byrd in the James Brown biopic Get On Up. Lafayette Reynolds is a character on HBO's True Blood. He is the kind of guy with a dark sense of humor.Lafayette may rake in cash doing things the cops frown upon, but that doesn't make him a bad person. But it transformed who I am as an actor and a person.”. It just happened.”. You have 3 free articles left. HBO Boxing. TV Show. The actor died Saturday of heart failure due to alcohol withdrawal complications, the family said. Nelsan Ellis, the actor who portrayed Lafayette Reynolds on True Blood, passed away in 2017. “We were extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Nelsan Ellis,” HBO said in a statement. “The studies were so intense and the institution is so white, and I’m a black man from the South with a very specific vernacular and palate,” he told Backstage in 2009 of his experience there, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Dexter on Showtime. “The most intriguing thing about him is his strength and his stillness. Nelsan Ellis, Actor: The Butler. TV Show. Is it possible the blood Lettie Mae was covered in was the blood of the vampire Tara was fighting? True Blood was the subject of a Sesame Street sketch parody titled "True Mud" (2010), featuring puppet versions of Sookie, Bill, Lafayette, Sam, Tara, and Sheriff Dearborn. In a 2010 interview with Vibe, Ellis described how the character was likable. You have 2 free articles left. TV Show. Subscribe for just $18. Storyline With Jason in jail for Amy's murder, he tries to prove his innocence, while Sookie thinks that the killer is someone that they are close with.