Nelsan Ellis Remembered: True Blood Co-Stars, Author and EP Pay Tribute

True Blood‘s Nelsan Ellis, who died at the age of 39, is being remembered by friends and former co-stars.

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Ellis, who played Lafayette Reynolds on the HBO vampire drama and Shinwell Johnson on CBS’ Elementary, died due to complications from heart failure. Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer and Joe Manganiello, who respectively played Sookie Stackhouse, Bill Compton and Alcide Herveaux on True Blood, took to social media to express their grief over the loss of “a phenomenally talented,” “wonderful person.”

Charlaine Harris, author of the True Blood novels that inspired the series, has expressed her sorrow, calling Ellis “a great talent gone too soon.”

The Elementary writers room has also expressed their deepest condolences, referring to Ellis as “a treasured member of the Elementary family.”

Keep scrolling for additional tributes…

Michael Raymond-James, True Blood: 

https://twitter.com/MRaymondJames/status/883773712679317504

Sam Trammell, True Blood:

Mehcad Brooks, True Blood:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWTGTXAH3WS/

Anna Camp, True Blood:

Denis O’Hare, True Blood:

Carrie Preston, True Blood:

Michelle Forbes, True Blood:

Michael McMillian, True Blood:

https://twitter.com/McMillzz/status/883771713703391233

Deborah Ann Woll, True Blood:

Mariana Klaveno, True Blood:

Lauren Bowles, True Blood:

Tara Buck, True Blood:

Kristin Bauer, True Blood:

Janina Gavankar, True Blood:

Aisha Hinds, True Blood:

Adina Porter, True Blood:

Robert Patrick, True Blood:

Todd Lowe, True Blood:

Jim Parrack, True Blood:

https://twitter.com/parrack120/status/883787324865347585

Lindsay Pulsipher, True Blood: 

Gregg Fienberg, executive producer of True Blood:

Jessica Chastain, The Help (in which Ellis co-starred):

Octavia Spencer, The Help:

Rob Thomas, creator of Veronica Mars, on which Ellis guest-starred:

True Blood creator Alan Ball has released a statement, referring to Ellis as a “singular talent.” HBO has also paid its respects, calling Ellis “a long-time member of the HBO family whose groundbreaking portrayal of Lafayette will be remembered fondly.” (Read both statements in full here.)

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