Source: John Lamparski / Getty/ Nelsan Ellis
UPDATE 7/10:
The family of actor Nelsan Ellis has allegedly revealed that the late True Blood actor’s heart failure was a result from alcohol withdrawal complications, according to a report from TMZ.
TMZ quotes the family as saying: During his withdrawal from alcohol he had a blood infection, his kidneys shut down, his liver was swollen, his blood pressure plummeted, and his dear sweet heart raced out of control.
The family added that he was ashamed of his addiction in life, but they believe in his death he would want to serve as a “cautionary tale” to those struggling with addiction.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Nelsan Ellis, the actor who starred in HBO’s True Blood as Lafayette Reynolds, has died. He was only 39.
“Nelsan has passed away after complications with heart failure,” his manager Emily Gerson Saines told The Hollywood Reporter. “He was a great talent, and his words and presence will be forever missed.”
Ellis, who had been in numerous films including The Help, Get On Up and The Butler, was best known for his role as the flamboyant and hilarious Lafayette on True Blood. While the Merlotte’s short order cook (and drug dealer) was killed off in the books the show was adapted from, the creators and writers refused to kill him in the series, mostly because Ellis’s brilliant performance made the character a fan favorite, THR suggests.
Lafayette was also very popular due to him being one of the only Black gay characters on television at that time, serving as a much-needed example of representation and inclusion. And while other actors with less self-awareness and talent would have turned Lafayette into a one-dimensional caricature or the butt of the joke, Ellis gave him layers, nuance and complexity—reflecting the humanity of the Black LGBTQ community.
In a statement, HBO sent their condolences: “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.”
True Blood creator, Alan Ball added: “Nelsan was a singular talent whose creativity never ceased to amaze me. Working with him was a privilege.”
People, including his former castmates, also flocked to Twitter to remember the beloved actor:
https://twitter.com/allanbrocka/status/883769845401010176
https://twitter.com/tlnx_/status/883765081221320706
https://twitter.com/Paper_Heart_Jen/status/883785709101993986
