Sad to hear the news that Nelsan Ellis who played the flamboyant 'Lafayette Reynolds' in the HBO horror-drama series 'True Blood' has died age 39!
His manager confirmed his death on Saturday 8th July, saying he had died from complications of heart failure. HBO said in a statement, "We were extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Nelsan Ellis, he was a long-time member of the HBO family whose groundbreaking portrayal of Lafayette will be remembered fondly".
He appeared regularly throughout the series of True Blood from 2008 to 2014, after first appearing as the cook at a local restaurant. He played the role of Lafayette, a charismatic gay medium who was able to contact ghosts.
Alongside
Nelsan Ellis also starred alongside Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer in the film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's novel The Help in 2011.
Octavia Spencer paid tribute on Twitter, saying: "Just got word that we lost @nelsanellisofficial. My heart breaks for his kids and family."
Fans
Some fans tweeted one of his well known scenes as Lafayette, where he marches out of the kitchen to confront some bigoted dinners:
Creator
The True Blood creator, Alan Ball, called Nelsan Ellis “ a talent whose creativity never ceased to amaze. Working with him was a privilege.”
RIP Nelsan Ellis
One of the reasons why I would watch 'True Blood', such a great actor! Peace and love to his family!
Freddie