Nelsan Ellis, the actor known for his role of Lafayette on the HBO series
True Blood
, died at the age of 39.
His manager, Emily Gerson Saines, confirmed the news to EW. "Nelsan has passed away after complications with heart failure," she said in a statement. "He was a great talent, and his words and presence will be forever missed."
As Lafayette, the sassafras cook at Merlotte's Bar and Grill, Ellis was one of the cast members who stayed with
True Blood
up until the final season, which capped in 2014. "We were extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Nelsan Ellis," HBO said in a statement. "Nelsan was a long-time member of the HBO family whose groundbreaking portrayal of Lafayette will be remembered fondly within the overall legacy of
True Blood
. Nelsan will be dearly missed by his fans and all of us at HBO."
True Blood
creator Alan Ball called working with Ellis "a privilege." He said in his own statement, "Nelsan was a singular talent whose creativity never ceased to amaze me."
Octavia Spencer, who starred alongside Ellis in
The Help
and the James Brown biopic
Get On Up
, wrote in a post on Instagram, "Just got word that we lost @nelsanellisofficial. My heart breaks for his kids and family."
Ellis's
True Blood
costar Deborah Ann Woll called the news of his death "heartbreaking."
GALLERY:
Nelsan Ellis' Life in Photos
A graduate of Juilliard, Ellis recently appeared on CBS'
Elementary
as Shinwell Johnson, who featured throughout season 5.
The character died on the show in May
. The actor also landed TV roles on
Veronica Mars
and
Without a Trace
, as well as in films like
The Soloist
,
Secretariat
,
Lee Daniels' The Butler
, and
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
.