If you watched “True Blood,” there’s a good chance your favorite character was Lafayette Reynolds. Actor Nelsan Ellis undeniably stole the show as the charismatic short order cook; Lafayette was so beloved by viewers that he hung around for the entire run of the show, and Ellis scooped up various awards and nominations along the way.
Today we’re deeply saddened to report that Nelsan Ellis has passed away at the age of 39. He died after complications from heart failure.
Ellis’ brief but memorable acting career also saw him star in “Veronica Mars,” “Without a Trace,” The Soloist, The Help, and Lee Daniels’ The Butler. His final film, True to the Game, was recently completed and is set for release in September.
HBO said in a statement, “We 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.”
“Nelsan was a singular talent whose creativity never ceased to amaze me,” “True Blood” creator Alan Ball added. “Working with him was a privilege.”
