RIP Nelsan Ellis

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Ritterskoop
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RIP Nelsan Ellis

#1 Post by Ritterskoop » Sat Jul 08, 2017 3:32 pm

39-year-old actor best known as Lafayette on True Blood died of complications from heart failure. I loved him in this part, and thought he was one of the best parts of the show.

He played Shinwell Johnson in six episodes of Elementary and MLK in Lee Daniels' The Butler.

http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/nelsan- ... 202490405/
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Re: RIP Nelsan Ellis

#2 Post by silverscreenselect » Sat Jul 08, 2017 4:20 pm

I admit I don't know anything about the man's life, but when someone this age dies of heart failure, you wonder if there may have been contributing pharmaceutical factors.

I saw him as James Brown's bandmate in Get On Up, and he was quite good in that.
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Re: RIP Nelsan Ellis

#3 Post by Ritterskoop » Sat Jul 08, 2017 5:48 pm

He doesn't strike me as the drug type, though that is a valid place to go. I made a different kind of stereotypical leap, and wondered if he was diabetic and thus more susceptible to heart issues. I think I read that African-Americans are nearly twice as likely as white Americans to be diabetic.

But it is damn shame, however it came about.
If you fail to pilot your own ship, don't be surprised at what inappropriate port you find yourself docked. - Tom Robbins
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Re: RIP Nelsan Ellis

#4 Post by Estonut » Sat Jul 08, 2017 6:14 pm

silverscreenselect wrote:I admit I don't know anything about the man's life, but when someone this age dies of heart failure, you wonder if there may have been contributing pharmaceutical factors.
Perhaps you do, but, not knowing anything about him either, I wondered if he had a congenital condition.
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Re: RIP Nelsan Ellis

#5 Post by Ritterskoop » Sat Jul 08, 2017 7:31 pm

It is normal to wonder about the causes of early deaths, and I think it is not horrible to wonder about specific causes, as long as we are not judging anyone, those are all just obvious curiosity. We had a rule back when I took obits by phone, nearly 30 years ago, that we had to ask about cause of someone was under 35 or so. The funeral directors knew this and would say "natural causes" to head us off.

I get a little nuts when a story says someone 92 has died but that they don't have a cause of death. I think the cause is fairly obvious. The person was 92.
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Re: RIP Nelsan Ellis

#6 Post by Bob Juch » Mon Jul 10, 2017 2:03 pm

The actor died Saturday of heart failure due to alcohol withdrawal complications, the family said. "Nelsan was a gentle, generous and kind soul."
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/t ... ys-1019634
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Re: RIP Nelsan Ellis

#7 Post by silverscreenselect » Mon Jul 10, 2017 2:37 pm

Bob Juch wrote:
The actor died Saturday of heart failure due to alcohol withdrawal complications, the family said. "Nelsan was a gentle, generous and kind soul."
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/t ... ys-1019634
When his death was announced, Octavia Spencer mentioned it and the tenor of her post was that of someone who knew that Ellis was dealing with this type of problem, which is one reason why I made a comment.

Deaths like his are extremely sad
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Re: RIP Nelsan Ellis

#8 Post by Ritterskoop » Mon Jul 10, 2017 2:54 pm

That sucks, that if you are trying to get off something that is bad for you, your body kills you for the sudden change.
If you fail to pilot your own ship, don't be surprised at what inappropriate port you find yourself docked. - Tom Robbins
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Re: RIP Nelsan Ellis

#9 Post by themanintheseersuckersuit » Mon Jul 10, 2017 3:07 pm

silverscreenselect wrote:I admit I don't know anything about the man's life, but when someone this age dies of heart failure, you wonder if there may have been contributing pharmaceutical factors.
that makes you Len Biased
Suitguy is not bitter.

feels he represents the many educated and rational onlookers who believe that the hysterical denouncement of lay scepticism is both unwarranted and counter-productive

The problem, then, is that such calls do not address an opposition audience so much as they signal virtue. They talk past those who need convincing. They ignore actual facts and counterargument. And they are irreparably smug.

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