Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Nelsan " Lafayette" Ellis Interview

If Lafayette Reynolds were a real person, he’d have actor Nelsan Ellis to thank for saving his life. As fans of Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire books know, Lafayette is murdered early on in the series. The books are the basis for the HBO hit series TRUE BLOOD, one of the few genre shows ever to be nominated for a Best Drama Series Emmy (as it is this year). Ellis’ performance as Lafayette so impressed TRUE BLOOD creator Alan Ball that the outspoken fry cook/V dealer character has survived as an integral element of the show, now in its third season.

Initially, Ellis says, Lafayette’s longevity came as a surprise to him, as he was familiar with the character’s fate in the books. “I knew [Lafayette was going to live] after the table read of the twelfth episode. So throughout the whole first season, I thought I was dead. Alan said they had decided to keep me during the pilot, but he didn’t tell me,” Ellis laughs.

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