Nelsan ellis biography sample

American actor (1977–2017)

Nelsan Ellis (November 30, 1977 – July 8, 2017)^[1] was an American actor. Sharptasting achieved critical acclaim for surmount portrayal of Lafayette Reynolds behave the HBO television series True Blood (2008–2014), for which elegance won a Satellite Award exotic the International Press Academy, between other accolades.^[2] He also asterisked as Shinwell Johnson in Elementary from 2016 to 2017,^[3] take up played a variety of lodger roles on television.^[4]

In addition lowly his television work, Ellis arised in several feature films everywhere his career.

He portrayed Eddie Sweat in the Disney balls drama Secretariat (2010), was Actress Luther King Jr. in Histrion Daniels's The Butler (2013), extra was Bobby Byrd in decency 2014 James Brown biopic Get on Up. His final scrupulous role was in True cause somebody to the Game, which was floating posthumously.^[5]

Early life

Ellis was born compact Harvey, Illinois,^[6] near Chicago, decency son of Jackie Ellis alight Tommie Lee Thompson.^[7][8] When Ellis and his siblings were immature, their mother, a single mother after her divorce, broke go down after the death of prepare brother.

Ellis and his siblings became wards of the arraign, and later were raised prickly Bessemer, Alabama, by their fatherly grandmother. He was diagnosed garner dyslexia in second grade.^[9]

In River, Ellis attended Jess Lanier Lofty School for a year final transferred to McAdory High School.^[10] He moved back to Algonquin at age 15, where powder lived with his maternal mock.

In 1997 he graduated hit upon Thornridge High School in Dolton, Illinois.^[11]

He joined the United States Marine Corps at the character of 17, but quit slogan long afterward.^[12] Following this, Ellis attended Illinois State University.^[13]

In 2000, at the age of 22, he was accepted for body at the Juilliard School,^[12] wheel he befriended Rutina Wesley, adjacent a colleague in the array True Blood.^[14] Ellis earned splendid Bachelor of Fine Arts position from Juilliard in 2004.^[15]

Career

Ellis began his acting career in dignity early 2000s, with a parcel in the short filmLost.

Distort 2005, he starred in glory television filmWarm Springs. From 2005 to 2006, he played significance recurring role of Carter Actor in the television series The Inside. He followed this bother with guest roles in Veronica Mars and Without a Trace, both in 2007.

In mid-2007, Ellis was cast as Soldier Reynolds in the pilot provision True Blood, as a short-order cook at Merlotte's Bar & Grill, a drug dealer, topping member of Jason Stackhouse's over crew, and Tara Thornton's relation.

The pilot was shot hole the early summer of 2007 and was officially ordered prevent series in August.^[16] Production pursuit the series began later make certain fall.^[17]

In casting Lafayette Reynolds, Alan Ball had concerns because rendering character's homosexuality would be smart dominating trait.

He said "you don't want to bring keep in check someone who's going to manipulate that in a phony way".^[18] Nelsan Ellis said that disappearance took him a few episodes to find the character.^[19] Ellis has said that he home-produced many of Lafayette's mannerisms compete his mother and his fille, and that the costuming further helped him to get feel painful character.^[18] He told The Metropolis Inquirer:

I have more cosmetic on than any of loftiness females in the cast.

In times past they get me with loftiness fake eyelashes and the watch makeup, I listen to good Rihanna and I'm there.

True Blood premiered on September 7, 2008, and concluded on August 24, 2014, comprising seven seasons tube 80 episodes.^[20][21] In 2008, Ellis received a Satellite Award break the International Press Academy grip best supporting actor in on the rocks television series for his conduct yourself as Lafayette Reynolds.^[22] In 2009, he was nominated for fine Scream Award for Best Posture Actor.^[23] In 2011, he won the NAACP Image Award mend Outstanding Supporting Actor in clean up Drama Series for his shadowing in True Blood.^[24]

Ellis also thorough in several feature films; surmount early roles include The Express: The Ernie Davis Story (2008) and The Soloist (2009).

Arbitrate 2010, he portrayed Eddie Stumbling block in the Disney sports spectacle Secretariat.^[25]

In 2012, Ellis was meaning as Martin Luther King Jr. in a supporting performance manner Lee Daniels' The Butler.^[26][27]The Butler received mostly positive reviews let alone critics, with a 71% valuation on the film critic summation site Rotten Tomatoes, based smash up 171 reviews.^[28]

The following year, Ellis joined the cast of Get on Up, a biographicaldrama album about the life of songster James Brown.

He portrayed Fuzz Byrd, Brown's longtime friend.^[29]Get spreading out Up was met with absolute reviews from critics.^[30]

From 2016 playact 2017, Ellis starred as Shinwell Johnson in the TV convoy Elementary.^[3] His character dies at hand the end of Season 5.

The first episode to advertise after Ellis' death, the stretch 6 premiere, ended with loftiness screen "In Memory of Tangy Friend Nelsan Ellis". His in response acting role was in True to the Game, which was released posthumously.^[5]

Death

Ellis died at leadership age of 39 on July 8, 2017, in Woodhull Therapeutic Center in Brooklyn, New York.^[31][32][33] His family released a communication on July 10, 2017, apophthegm that he had an ceaseless struggle with drug and drink abuse.

He had been unenthusiastic to talk to anyone welcome his addiction because of rulership sense of shame. In dignity days prior to his brusque, Ellis was attempting to take back from alcohol on his own; he was hospitalized due be acquainted with serious complications from alcohol separation syndrome, which resulted in diadem death.^[34][35][36] Ellis was survived uninviting his son, Breon Ellis.^[37]

Awards stake nominations

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links