travel and lifestyle | March 05, 2026

Nelsan Ellis Net Worth, Age, Height, Bio, Birthday, Wiki!

Explore Nelsan Ellis net worth, age, height, bio, birthday, wiki, and salary! In this article, we will discover how old is Nelsan Ellis? Who is Nelsan Ellis dating now & how much money does Nelsan Ellis have?

Nelsan Ellis Biography

Nelsan Ellis is one of the most popular and richest TV Actor who was born on November 30, 1977 in Harvey, Illinois, United States. He is best known for his role in Get On Up as Known for his role as Bobby Byrd in the 2014 movie Get On Up, he also famously played Lafayette Reynolds on HBO’s True Blood. For his role in the latter production, he received Ewwy, Satellite, Scream, and NAACP Image awards.. However, he was also the famous actor who played Lafayette Reynolds on HBO’s True Blood. He was awarded the Ewwy and Satellite, Scream, NAACP Image, and NAACP Image for his part in this production.

Both he and his True Blood cast fellow member Rutina Weber attended the Juilliard School.

In Alabama, Ellis attended Jess Lanier High School for a year and transferred to McAdory High School. He moved back to Illinois at age 15, where he lived with his maternal aunt. In 1997 he graduated from Thornridge High School in Dolton, Illinois.

Ellis began his acting career in the early 2000s, with a role in the short film Lost. In 2005, he starred in the television film Warm Springs. From 2005 to 2006, he played the recurring role of Carter Howard in the television series The Inside. He followed this up with guest roles in Veronica Mars and Without a Trace, both in 2007.

Harvey, Illinois native, he was brought up in Bessemer by his grandmother. He returned to Illinois in his twenties and lived with his aunt until he finished high school. He died from heart failure at 39 after a long-standing battle against drug and alcohol abuse.

NameNelsan Ellis
First NameNelsan
Last NameEllis
OccupationTV Actor
BirthdayNovember 30
Birth Year1977
Place of BirthHarvey
Home TownIllinois
Birth CountryUnited States
Birth SignScorpio
Full/Birth Name
FatherNot Available
MotherNot Available
SiblingsTianna Thompson, Tommie Lee Thompson, Yvonne Ellis, MORE
SpouseNot Known
Children(s)Not Available

Ethnicity, religion & political views

Many peoples want to know what is Nelsan Ellis ethnicity, nationality, Ancestry & Race? Let's check it out! As per public resource, IMDb & Wikipedia, Nelsan Ellis's ethnicity is Black. We will update Nelsan Ellis's religion & political views in this article. Please check the article again after few days.

In mid-2007, Ellis was cast as Lafayette Reynolds in the pilot for True Blood, as a short-order cook at Merlotte’s Bar & Grill, a drug dealer, a member of Jason Stackhouse’s road crew, and Tara Thornton’s cousin. The pilot was shot in the early summer of 2007 and was officially ordered to series in August. Production on the series began later that fall.

Nelsan Ellis Net Worth

Nelsan Ellis is one of the richest TV Actor from United States. According to our analysis, Wikipedia, Forbes & Business Insider, Nelsan Ellis's net worth $3 Million. (Last Update: December 11, 2023)

After briefly serving in Marines, he started acting training at New York City’s Juilliard School.

He played a minor role in The Help, a 2011 movie.

Nelsan Ellis (November 30, 1977 – July 8, 2017) was an American actor and playwright. He achieved critical acclaim for his portrayal of Lafayette Reynolds in the HBO television series True Blood (2008–2014), for which he won a Satellite Award from the International Press Academy, among other accolades. He also starred as Shinwell Johnson in Elementary from 2016 to 2017, and played a variety of guest roles in other television series, including Veronica Mars and Without a Trace.

Net Worth$3 Million
SalaryUnder Review
Source of IncomeTV Actor
CarsNot Available
HouseLiving in own house.

Ellis has also performed in several feature films; his early roles include The Express: The Ernie Davis Story (2008) and The Soloist (2009). In 2010, he portrayed Eddie Sweat in the Disney sports drama Secretariat.

True Blood premiered on September 7, 2008, and concluded on August 24, 2014, comprising seven seasons and 80 episodes. In 2008, Ellis received a Satellite Award from the International Press Academy for best supporting actor in a television series for his role as Lafayette Reynolds. In 2009, he was nominated for a Scream Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 2011, he won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in True Blood.

Height, Weight & Body Measurements

Nelsan Ellis height 5 ft 10 in Nelsan weight Not Known & body measurements will update soon.

Height5 ft 10 in
WeightNot Known
Body MeasurementsUnder Review
Eye ColorNot Available
Hair ColorNot Available
Feet/Shoe SizeNot Available

In 2000, at the age of 22, he was accepted for enrollment at the Juilliard School, where he befriended Rutina Wesley, later a colleague in the series True Blood. Ellis earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Juilliard in 2004.

In 2012, Ellis was cast as Martin Luther King Jr. in a supporting performance in Lee Daniels’ The Butler. The Butler received mostly positive reviews from critics, with a 71% rating on the film critic aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, based on 171 reviews.

Who is Nelsan Ellis Dating?

According to our records, Nelsan Ellis is possibily single & has not been previously engaged. As of December 1, 2023, Nelsan Ellis’s is not dating anyone.

Relationships Record: We have no records of past relationships for Nelsan Ellis. You may help us to build the dating records for Nelsan Ellis!

In addition to his television work, Ellis appeared in several feature films throughout his career. He portrayed Eddie Sweat in the Disney sports drama Secretariat (2010), was Martin Luther King Jr. in Lee Daniels’ The Butler (2013), and was Bobby Byrd in the 2014 James Brown biopic Get on Up. His final acting role was in True to the Game, which was released posthumously.

Facts & Trivia

Nelsan Ranked on the list of most popular TV Actor. Also ranked in the elit list of famous people born in United States. Nelsan Ellis celebrates birthday on November 30 of every year.

From 2016 to 2017, Ellis starred as Shinwell Johnson in the TV series Elementary. His character dies near the end of Season 5. The first episode to air after Ellis’ death, the Season 6 premiere, ended with the screen “In Memory of Our Friend Nelsan Ellis”. His final acting role was in True to the Game, which was released posthumously.

Did Nelsan Ellis died during filming Elementary?

From 2016 to 2017, Ellis starred as Shinwell Johnson in the TV series Elementary. His character dies near the end of Season 5. The first episode to air after Ellis’ death, the season 6 premiere, ended with the screen “In Memory of Our Friend Nelsan Ellis”.

What happened to Lafayette in True Blood?

Nelsan Ellis, known for playing Lafayette Reynolds on HBO’s “True Blood,” died on Saturday of heart failure related to alcohol withdrawal, according to a statement released by his family on Monday.

Who died from True Blood in real life?

Nelsan Ellis, the actor who brought to life the flamboyant character of Lafayette Reynolds on HBO’s True Blood, has died at the age of 39. Ellis’ manager, Emily Gerson Saines, confirmed the death, telling The Hollywood Reporter that he died “after complications with heart failure.

How old was Nelsan Ellis when died?

39 years (1977–2017)

Who was the black actor on Elementary?

Nelsan Ellis, known for his role as medium Lafayette Reynolds on HBO’s “True Blood,” has died at age 39.

You may read full biography about Nelsan Ellis from Wikipedia.