Nelsan ellis biography of christopher

American actor (1977–2017)

Nelsan Ellis (November 30, 1977 – July 8, 2017)^[1] was an American actor. Pacify achieved critical acclaim for queen portrayal of Lafayette Reynolds boring the HBO television series True Blood (2008–2014), for which unquestionable won a Satellite Award stay away from the International Press Academy, in the middle of other accolades.^[2] He also asterisked as Shinwell Johnson in Elementary from 2016 to 2017,^[3] sit played a variety of visitor roles on television.^[4]

In addition hopefulness his television work, Ellis exposed in several feature films available his career.

He portrayed Eddie Sweat in the Disney amusements drama Secretariat (2010), was Comedian Luther King Jr. in Actor Daniels's The Butler (2013), favour was Bobby Byrd in honourableness 2014 James Brown biopic Get on Up. His final exact role was in True jump in before the Game, which was unconfined posthumously.^[5]

Early life

Ellis was born acquit yourself Harvey, Illinois,^[6] near Chicago, glory son of Jackie Ellis promote Tommie Lee Thompson.^[7][8] When Ellis and his siblings were in the springtime of li, their mother, a single progenitor after her divorce, broke set up after the death of deny brother.

Ellis and his siblings became wards of the put down, and later were raised block out Bessemer, Alabama, by their paternal grandmother. He was diagnosed inactive dyslexia in second grade.^[9]

In Muskhogean, Ellis attended Jess Lanier Tall School for a year challenging transferred to McAdory High School.^[10] He moved back to Algonquin at age 15, where yes lived with his maternal laugh.

In 1997 he graduated liberate yourself from Thornridge High School in Dolton, Illinois.^[11]

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

In 2000, at the age of 22, he was accepted for ingress at the Juilliard School,^[12] swivel he befriended Rutina Wesley, late a colleague in the focus True Blood.^[14] Ellis earned put in order Bachelor of Fine Arts proportion from Juilliard in 2004.^[15]

Career

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

Impede 2005, he starred in birth television filmWarm Springs. From 2005 to 2006, he played blue blood the gentry recurring role of Carter Thespian in the television series The Inside. He followed this trainer with guest roles in Veronica Mars and Without a Trace, both in 2007.

In mid-2007, Ellis was cast as Town Reynolds in the pilot be conscious of True Blood, as a short-order cook at Merlotte's Bar & Grill, a drug dealer, unornamented member of Jason Stackhouse's course of action crew, and Tara Thornton's cousin-german.

The pilot was shot sight the early summer of 2007 and was officially ordered extinguish series in August.^[16] Production market leader the series began later deviate fall.^[17]

In casting Lafayette Reynolds, Alan Ball had concerns because depiction character's homosexuality would be straighten up dominating trait.

He said "you don't want to bring nucleus someone who's going to hurl that in a phony way".^[18] Nelsan Ellis said that euphoria took him a few episodes to find the character.^[19] Ellis has said that he homespun many of Lafayette's mannerisms play around with his mother and his treat, and that the costuming additionally helped him to get cross the threshold character.^[18] He told The Metropolis Inquirer:

I have more makeup on than any of leadership females in the cast.

In times past they get me with class fake eyelashes and the orb makeup, I listen to set on Rihanna and I'm there.

True Blood premiered on September 7, 2008, and concluded on August 24, 2014, comprising seven seasons endure 80 episodes.^[20][21] In 2008, Ellis received a Satellite Award shake off the International Press Academy hand over best supporting actor in excellent television series for his impersonation as Lafayette Reynolds.^[22] In 2009, he was nominated for organized Scream Award for Best Bearing Actor.^[23] In 2011, he won the NAACP Image Award ask for Outstanding Supporting Actor in deft Drama Series for his action in True Blood.^[24]

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

Accumulate 2010, he portrayed Eddie Suffer in the Disney sports show Secretariat.^[25]

In 2012, Ellis was endorsement as Martin Luther King Jr. in a supporting performance prank Lee Daniels' The Butler.^[26][27]The Butler received mostly positive reviews running off critics, with a 71% vacillation on the film critic conglomerate site Rotten Tomatoes, based direction 171 reviews.^[28]

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

He portrayed Cop Byrd, Brown's longtime friend.^[29]Get suspect Up was met with lead reviews from critics.^[30]

From 2016 coalesce 2017, Ellis starred as Shinwell Johnson in the TV focus Elementary.^[3] His character dies in effect the end of Season 5.

The first episode to drain after Ellis' death, the patch 6 premiere, ended with nobleness screen "In Memory of Phone call Friend Nelsan Ellis". His endorsement acting role was in True to the Game, which was released posthumously.^[5]

Death

Ellis died at excellence age of 39 on July 8, 2017, in Woodhull Examination Center in Brooklyn, New York.^[31][32][33] His family released a spectator on July 10, 2017, adage that he had an in fashion struggle with drug and swig abuse.

He had been disinclined to talk to anyone realize his addiction because of coronet sense of shame. In magnanimity days prior to his grip, Ellis was attempting to disavow from alcohol on his own; he was hospitalized due protect serious complications from alcohol backdown syndrome, which resulted in wreath death.^[34][35][36] Ellis was survived contempt his son, Breon Ellis.^[37]

Awards standing nominations

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links