Actor Nelsan Ellis dead at 39: True Blood, 'Lafayette' and Elementary, 'Shinwell.'

[CurtEastPoint]

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Nelsan Ellis, the actor who starred in HBO's True Blood as Lafayette Reynolds, has died, his manager Emily Gerson Saines, told The Hollywood Reporter.

He was 39.

"Nelsan has passed away after complications with heart failure," Saines said. "He was a great talent, and his words and presence will be forever missed."

On True Blood, Lafayette was a short order cook at Merlotte's. In the books, he was killed off, but because Ellis made him such an enjoyable character, he survived in the series.

Read more: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/true-blood-star-nelsan-ellis-dies-at-39-1019540

---

[Solly Mack]

1. :(

[dhill926]

2. that's awful...

way too young. LOVED him in True Blood...

[fountainofyouth]

3. Eerie

I just watched The Stanford Prison Experiment two days ago. First time I'd seen Ellis on film.

[Snackshack]

4. 😢

Saddened to read this.

[Runningdawg]

5. ----------

[lady lib]

6. Noooooooooooooooooo!

He is one of my all time favorite actors. Such a talent.

[dsc]

7. I just can't believe it

He was awesome on True Blood.

[m-lekktor]

8. OH NO! Everybody who watched "True Blood" loved him.

Very sad news.

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. Oh, no!! Much too young!!!

[chowder66]

10. He was phenomenal. Gone entirely too soon. nt

[JHan]

11. Nooooooooo! :( :( :( :(

[SamKnause]

12. I am watching True Blood for the second or third time.

I decided to check the news and found out about Nelsan.

He is one of my favorite characters on True Blood.

He has made me smile on so many occasions.

Condolences to his family and friends.

[IcyPeas]

13. this is sad to hear

I also enjoyed him as Lafayette. He played a very colorful character in the series.

RIP

[benld74]

14. Prayers

[Ilsa]

15. Noooooo!!!!

Loved Ellis. He also played Secretariat's groom in Secretariat. He was fantastic in every role he took on. Loved him as Lafayette.

[kimbutgar]

16. It wasn't until I saw this picture that I realized who he was

He was a great character and a good actor. Too young to die.

[Lucinda]

17. ...

[TheDebbieDee]

18. I'll always remember his character, Eddie Sweat in Secretariat looking toward the morning sky...

And saying, "You're about to see something you ain't never seen before!"

[mcar]

19. I saw him on "Elementary"

Tragic loss.

[ananda]

20. RIP

I saw him on Elementary.

His character was killed off too.

I didn't want that to happen, but now ...

[Coventina]

21. Aw geez. I loved him on "Elementary."

RIP.

[CurtEastPoint]

22. And ironically his character (SPOILER)

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.died in the last episode.

[Aristus]

23. Shinwell in 'Elementary' was an enigmatic, appealing character.

I found myself time and again hoping he would be able to turn his life around. It was sad when he got killed.

I didn't know anything about Ellis as an actor. It's sad that he died so young...