Nelsan Ellis Biography

Nelsan Ellis was an American actor who was popularly known for portraying the character of ‘Lafayette Reynolds’ in the American dark fantasy horror series ‘True Blood’. Ellis won two Satellite Awards, one Ewwy Award, and one NewNowNext Award for his role in the show. He played one of the lead characters, ‘Shinwell Johnson’, in Robert Doherty’s procedural drama series ‘Elementary’. Ellis was also a big part of the American crime drama television series ‘The Inside’ in the mid-2000s. During his fifteen-year long acting career, Ellis had appeared in numerous feature films as well. He portrayed ‘Eddie Sweat’ in the biographical sports drama film ‘Secretariat’ and appeared in the historical drama film ‘The Butler’, playing the role of ‘Martin Luther King, Jr.’ Despite his professional success, the actor’s personal life was a troubled one. Raised by a single mother in poverty, he became addicted to alcohol which ultimately ruined his life and led to his unfortunate death. He portrayed ‘Tyrik’ in his last film ‘True to the Game’ which was released after his death.