Actor Nelsan Ellis, best known for his portrayal of Lafayette Reynolds on HBO’s True Blood passed away on Saturday at the age of 39. Reports say he died after complications from heart failure.

HBO released a statement saying:
“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.””


Ellis’ True Blood co-star Stephen Moyer also paid tribute to the actor by sharing a photo of him on Facebook alongside a story from one of his favorite moments on-set:
I think it would be fair to say that he taught all of us that intent and courage and fearlessness and freedom are the aspects of playing make-believe that spark the corners of the room where the dark is most impenetrable,” he wrote.

(Courtesy of Stephen Moyer Facebook Page)
(Courtesy of Stephen Moyer Facebook Page)

True Blood” costar Joe Manganiello said:
“Crushed today by the loss of my friend and castmate Nelsan Ellis. He was a wonderful person, a pioneer, and a one of a kind artist. RIP.”

R.I.P.  Nelsan Ellis, you will be missed. Thanks for the amazing memories on screen.

Filed under: hbo, lafayette-reynolds, nelsan-ellis, true-blood