Nelsan Ellis Describes the Loss of His On-Screen Lover

It’s always tough losing one of your good work buddies, but usually nobody makes you force them out at the end of a kitchen knife. Nelsan Ellis, who plays Lafayette on ‘True Blood,’ told us a bit about how Kevin Alejandro’s spectacular exit in the season finale has affected him – and his character.
“Lafayette is distraught,” Ellis says. “He wasn’t the one who killed Jesus, but it was by his hand. This is possibly Lafayette’s first real meaningful love, and he wasn’t strong enough to protect Jesus – even though Jesus has been able to protect him all season. It was a hard scene for me because I’ve been working with Kevin for two years and we’re best of friends. We’ve done some real intimate stuff … So it was hard really for me to stab him.”

True Blood: Are Stereotypes Always Offensive?

The True Blood characters of Lafayette and Jesus both appear to be extreme examples of gay characters, with Lafayette embracing stereotypes while Jesus rejects them. It’s common knowledge that True Blood’s creator and producer Alan Ball is openly gay, but does his sexual identity give him free license to traffic in stereotypes?
Welcome back for another look at sex and gender issues in HBO’s True Blood. We’re closing in on the end of the show’s fourth season, so if you haven’t yet, make sure to check out our earlier articles on the show, including a look at Tara’s transformation into a cagefighting lesbian, a closer read of the series’ witches and more.

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Body Snatched: Interview with Nelsan Ellis

Nelsan Ellis shares what it's like to play a character within a character, what's up with Lafayette's hair, and who he thinks Sookie should settle down with.


Possession is really the word of the season, and Lafayette gets a major dose of it in ‘Let’s Get Out of Here.’ How did you prepare to play the restless spirit of a murdered Creole woman?
Study the actress who’s playing the role. I was studying her dailies, and then she and I got together to work.  I talked a lot to Fiona and tried to figure out what “possession” meant to me. I realized that I don’t become the person – the person becomes me. They get into a body where the mechanics are already there. Mavis has this funky little swish to her walk, but I was like, “No, my hips can’t move like that.” But I’d have something subtle that suggested that that was the direction that my hips wanted to go in. So, I tried to figure out what subtle nuances I could take from her that would remind the audience of who she was inside of me but also stay true to what Lafayette is, what his body does and the fact that he’s still in there.

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True Blood’s Lafayette slays gay stereotypes

While America's fascination with all things vampire seems to be cooling off, the HBO series True Blood manages to stay fresh.
Season four of the hit series is underway with one notable wrinkle central to the series being actor Nelsan Ellis' portrayal of Lafayette Reynolds, a gay cook, prostitute and "blood" dealer. Ellis' popularity on the small screen has forced producers to keep him on the show despite the character of Lafayette being killed off at the end of the first book on which the series is inspired.
What is most interesting about Ellis' portrayal of Lafayette is its departure from the norm of how most homosexual men are usually presented to television audiences. Lafayette doesn't shy away from being flamboyant yet, his flamboyance is darkly hued and coupled with a signature strength and masculinity that shows he is unashamed of who he is but fiercely defensive of the life he lives and the people he chooses to love.
The question remains, in a world still uncomfortable discussing issues of sexual orientation in an adult way, how far does a character like Lafayette go towards changing hearts and minds on what a gay man can be on screen?

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Rise of Lafayette How Nelsan Ellis convinced ‘True Blood’ creator to save his character

Actor Nelsan Ellis, who plays Lafayette Reynolds on HBO’s hit vampire series “True Blood,” remembers what he’d hear in meetings when he was a Juilliard graduate trying to land roles in Hollywood.
“Everybody kept saying, ‘I just don’t know how to sell you,’ ” he recalls. “I’m odd. I don’t think you can put a finger on me. I have some sex appeal, but I’m not the sexy dude. Although I can be a leading man, you wouldn’t look at me and go, ‘He’s a leading man.’ ”
Does it surprise anyone, then, that what would launch Ellis is a stereotype-busting role as a gay, muscular short order cook/prostitute/drug dealer who wears makeup and can beat up rednecks? Sitting at a sidewalk café on a busy street in Los Angeles, Ellis, dressed in a T-shirt and flat cap, explains how, in many ways, Lafayette is him.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/rise_of_lafayette_r7cflOsDZTTDregdTwM1MK#ixzz1SNEnQL40

Kevin Alejandro discusses Lafayette and Jesus relationship

I can't get the video to stop auto-playing on the blog -so watch it here

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b252369_true_bloods_kevin_alejandro_talks_jesus.html

Nelsan Ellis on True Blood’s Season of the Witches, Lafayette’s Mohawk, and Dodging the Marines

Nice interview ...

Give him your tired, your poor, your gay prostitutes, your drug dealers, and your symbolically orphaned and Nelsan Ellis will handily weave them all into one character. Or at least that's what the Southern marine turned actor does on True Blood in the role of Lafayette Reynolds, the short-order cook who's proven it's possible to be both sassy and swaggering. This season, he'll put his moxie to good use, nurturing a relationship with new boyfriend Jesus and taming a coven of overachieving witches. How does he do it all? We spoke with the molasses-tongued Ellis about the turmoil in store for Lafayette as well as Ellis's real-life drama, which easily rivals his True Blood material.
You look nothing like Lafayette in real life. How much goes into physically getting into character?
Um, I wear more makeup than any of the girls on the show. I wore everything initially: eye stuff, lip stuff. That didn't work too well on my face, so it just evolved to where it is now.
What about Lafayette's hair this season? Was the Mohawk your idea?[Whispers.] Yeah, that was my idea. I figure since he's got a boyfriend, he probably wants to jazz it up a bit.
Did you base Lafayette on anyone?
He's inspired by my mother: his spirit, his strength, his femininity, his masculinity, his hand gestures, his hair pieces. A friend saw a picture of Lafayette and goes, "That looks like your mother, dude." I don't look anything like my mother, except when I'm Lafayette. I look like my father.

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Nelsan Ellis on Season 4

Nelsan Ellis, who plays Bon Temps' sauciest short-order cook, tells us that fans aren't shy about asking him personal questions, "How are you like Lafayette? Are you gay? Do you wear makeup? Are you that sassy? Are you that tough?" He also tells us that the truth is, "I'm just a country boy, and to be a part of something so magnificent and big [as True Blood] is weird for me."

Read more: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b229846_true_bloods_anna_paquin_what_are.html#ixzz1GIpmpyxd

The 15 Most Groundbreaking Gay Roles on Television:Lafayette Reynolds on 'True Blood'

Thanks to creator Alan Ball's brilliant thinking, Bon Temps' most flashy short-order cook/V dealer is alive and well instead of dead in the back of Andy Bellefleur's car (his character's fate in Book Two of the Sookie Stackhouse novels). Although Lafayette embodies certain gay stereotypes (eyeliner, lipstick, jewelry, he prefers the ladies' room – "I is gorgeous"), he is easily one of the most trustworthy characters in a world filled with devious vampires, werewolves, maenads, shape-shifters and, most recently, a witch – the latter of whom just happens to be Lafayette's new boyfriend. Hookah, please!

John P. Johnson/ HBO 

 

here

‘True Blood’ Character Spotlight: Five Reasons To Love Lafayette Reynolds

Lafayette Reynolds is quirky, charismatic and careful. Undoubtedly, he’s one of the most interesting characters on “True Blood.” Like most of the characters on the show, Lafayette has been irrevocably shaped by the supernatural experiences of Bon Temps, Louisiana. He’s handled it with style and class, which is part of his charm. Here are five reasons to love Lafayette.
What you see is what you get. There are certain things that everyone knows about Lafayette. He’s gay, he’s a dealer, sometimes he sells his body and he’s really good with makeup. There are things most people don’t know about him, too: his mom is institutionalized and he’s very spiritual in the privacy of his own home. Although he has a private life like most people, he doesn’t exactly hide things—Lafayette’s just really good at keeping things chill and avoiding trouble. In return, he’s able to be himself in an otherwise conservative environment and he doesn’t have to apologize for who he is.

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Lafayette bares his true soul

Nelsan Ellis, who plays the ever flamboyant and crowd favourite Lafayette Reynolds, speaks to us about his role, fame and his sexuality 

 

IT'S hard to pick a favourite among HBO's True Blood characters because quite honestly, they are all just really, re­ally good. Out of all the main characters however, it can't be argued that Lafay­ette Reynolds is the most entertaining.
A charming character, Lafayette is very flamboyant in style, has an abso­lutely toxic but entertaining mouth and hilarious dialogues. To top it all off, he's also got a mysterious past, present and future.
For those who don't know who Lafay­ette is, he is the cook at Merlotte's - his decent day job, apart from being a drug dealer, a V (vampire blood) dealer and a gay prostitute. Simply put, he is any­thing but boring.
Yes, sure, the main character, Sookie Stackhouse (played by Anna Paquin), her vampire lover Bill Compton (Ste­phen Moyer) and Season 3 entry were­wolf bodyguard Alcide Herveaux (Joe Manganiello) are just as hot and deli­cious as Lafayette. But we could almost predict what's going to happen to them, and how the characters will develop.

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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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True Blood Actor brings extended life to 'True Blood' character

It scarcely seems plausible that an ordinary human could be the most vivid character on HBO's ghoulish "True Blood," a show teeming with supernatural, larger-than-death freaks.

Then again, "ordinary" is probably not the best way to describe Lafayette Reynolds, an emphatically gay man in a small Southern town. Brilliantly played by Nelsan Ellis, Lafayette is a redneck-thumping, drug-dealing diva with a tongue saltier than the gumbo he serves up as the grill cook at Merlotte's honky tonk.

Amid "True Blood's" menagerie of vampires, shape-shifters and werewolves, Lafayette's bayou bohemian was the hardest role to cast, according to creator Allan Ball, who adapted the show from Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels.

"Whenever you have a character in which one of his defining qualities is his sexuality, it's always challenging," says Ball via e-mail, "because you don't want to bring in someone who's going to play that in a phony way.

Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/07/09/1552781/actor-brings-extended-life-to.html#ixzz0tHp7tRqB

Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette) Talks 'True Blood,' Gay Marriage, Tyler Perry

Part of True Blood’s appeal is that the cast portrays their characters so well that it’s hard to believe they aren’t real. Enter Lafayette, played by Nelsan Ellis. Lafayette is a gay man who is flamboyant and egregious but at the same time isn’t stereotypical. He’s masculine but also feminine and will knock any man out if he’s pushed that far.

However, the man behind the character is the opposite. Ellis is a Julliard trained, perfectly straight Alabama native who initially struggled with bringing Lafayette to life but now that he has it down, he’s hoping that other industry insiders will remember that the character he plays is fictional. In edition to True Blood, he recently rapped a feature film, has his own screenplay in the works and wouldn’t mind appearing in a Tyler Perry project. Here, he tells VIBE how he brought Lafayette to life, what the gay community thinks about the character and how he plans to transition beyond his True Blood role. ⎯Starrene Rhett

VIBE: Lafayette is dead in the book so how did you make the TV character your own?

Nelsan Ellis: I think by the second or third audition I got some bad notes from the casting director. They figured I was playing a stereotype or something like that so I got a friend of mine to come and work the audition with me and somehow I found the character inside of me versus putting on something that wasn’t real. Alan Ball wanted the character to be a myriad of things and at first I was skeptical but I somehow found it, maybe it was God helping me out.

So that stereotype you were playing must have been a Queenie type of gay guy, huh?

Yeah, at first because in the break down he was supposed to be almost drag queenish but I didn’t really play that right coming in, even when I got the job. I didn’t really find Lafayette until the third or fourth episode because I certainly didn’t have him in the pilot. There were takes where I was playing with who he was and takes that I was—they just happened to pick takes that were consistent with who Alan Ball thought the character should be.

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Win an Exclusive Chat with True Blood’s Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette Reynolds)

WIN *** A private one-on-one 15 min. phone call with “Lafayette Reynolds”, Nelsan Ellis from True Blood

The original event took place in New Orleans on March 20th, 2010 at Zephyr Stadium and included Nelsan Ellis who portrays Lafayette Reynolds from the TV series True Blood, some members of the Super Bowl Champions New Orleans Saints along with select cast members from Twilight, New Moon and other local celebrities.
For only $3.99, fans around the world can relive the excitement and watch the “Saints” and “Sinners” take the field to play Vampire Baseball. Other highlights of the show include watching exclusive interviews with stars and all the play by play. Celebrity Vampire Baseball is great entertainment and allows fans to enjoy their favorite stars in a casual and unstructured atmosphere. Stars have great fun adding their own antics to keep the game entertaining! “Best Twilight event I’ve been to!” (Heather C., Dallas, TX)
As an added bonus, with each game ticket that is purchased, visitors are automatically entered to win exciting prizes from their favorite celebrities. Some prizes include a a private phone call with Nelsan Ellis from “True Blood”, Taylor Lautner autographed Twilight poster, an autographed ball from Saints player Garrett Hartley, and much more. There is no limit to the tickets that can be purchased and viewers can enter as many times as they like.
The game also benefits Haitian Relief Efforts along with local New Orleans charities. To purchase tickets, visit http://fantrips.travel/twilightfantrips/ For more information contact Jeannie Barresi at 719-471-0222.

Beyond Boundaries Travel
Amy Williams
970-568-7423
Amy@atmstravelnews.com

Meet Lafayette's new boyfriend: Kevin Alejandro

Lafayette’s finally getting some.

As I first teased in Ask Ausiello, True Blood has been quietly searching for a hot thirtysomething Latino actor to play a love interest for Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) during the drama’s upcoming third season. Well, the search is over!

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the recurring role has gone to Southland’s Kevin Alejandro.

Alejandro will play Jesus Velasquez, a good-natured Latino orderly who’s caring for Lafayette’s mother (played by Alfre Woodard).

Thoughts? Is Alejandro good boyfriend material for Lafayette? Sound off below!

From EW http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2010/01/03/true-blood-kevin-alejandro-lafayette/

Lafayette gets a boyfriend

From EW
usielloscoop@ew.com

Question: Thanks for all the True Blood casting news! Do you have any other scoop on season 3? –JKH
Ausiello: It’s happening: Lafayette is getting a boyfriend! A True insider tells me that Alan Ball is quietly searching for a sexy Latino actor in his 30s to play a lust interest for everyone’s favorite same-gender-lovin’ blood dealer. (Over the summer, Ball confirmed that viewers would see a more “vulnerable” Lafayette in season 3.) Got casting tips? Head to the comments! Here’s one to get you started: Um, Adam Rodriguez, hello.

Alfre Woodard cast as Lafayette's Mom on '"True Blood"

( and she's from Tulsa, OK -so no cracks about not getting the accent right )

The Emmy-winning actress will guest-star on the HBO vampire drama "True Blood" as the mother of Lafayette Reynolds (Nelsan Ellis), the cook at Merlotte's who got busted for selling vampire blood and held captive and tortured by Eric (Alexander Skarsgard). Since Lafayette and Tara (Rutina Wesley) are cousins, it means that Sookie's best friend would be getting a visit from her aunt.

Woodard recently joined TNT's dramedy pilot "Delta Blues" in a co-starring role opposite Jason Lee.

Q&A: True Blood's Lafayette speaks!

From Digital Spy

Yesterday we checked in with Sam Trammell and today we'reharassing having a nice chat with yet another star of True Blood. Step forward Nelsan Ellis, who plays Bon Temps' flamboyant and feisty chef-cum-dodgy-dealer Lafayette. Armed with our patented True Blood season three scooping devices, we caught up with Nelsan at the recent MCM Expoconvention in London to find out what we could.

Are you hoping Lafayette has a bigger role in season three? He seemed to be a bit on the backburner in season two...
"Yeah, I was! In the book, you had this whole world of Vampire Russell, the King of Mississippi, and I'm hoping I could be in that world. You know, Vampire Russell is gay too, so... hopefully they'll put me in there. But yeah, I was a little bit slighted being on the backburner this season."

Is there any chance of a love interest for Lafayette?
"Yes, there's talk. I don't want a love interest though, because I think Lafayette doesn't have time! He has his businesses to deal with. Plus, it would take a special creature to pin him down."

What about Eric? He's been having sexual dreams about him and that would be a hot story!
"Hahahah! I would love for Eric and Lafayette to get their thing on!"

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True Blood Season 2 Ended Now What?

from the wonderful Lafayette ( KitchenBitch) on Twitter

Are you bummed that season 2 is over? Well here are a few ideas to keep the V high going til season 3.

• Join a fan site or wiki
• Pick up the Sookie Stackhouse books
• Get season one on DVD and rewatch each episode every week and then when season 2 comes out on DVD buy and rewatch it.
• Follow the True Blood characters on twitter. We will have some fun story arcs and challenges until season 3 starts. One Click Follow Lists Here