Yesterday we checked in with Sam Trammell and today we're harassing 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 Expo convention 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!"
How do you feel about filming sex scenes?
"I haven't had to film a sex scene yet. It would make me terribly uncomfortable. I'd have to do it, though, because I'm bound by contract."
Is there any chance of Eric or another vampire turning Lafayette?
"Yeah, anything can happen on True Blood. I mean, Lafayette could become a werewolf. Him being a vampire might be a bit on the nose, so I'm thinking they might turn him into something else."
Have you thought how you might play Lafayette as a vampire or werewolf?
"No. It's not appealing to me to be a vampire. I haven't put too much thought on being a werewolf either. Because Lafayette is so eccentric as he is, how far can he go really? Also having all that hair on his face would mess up his makeup."
Will Lafayette continue working for Eric?
"Yeah, I think so. I think Eric has locked him in and they'll forever have [a link]. Now he's taken so much of Eric's blood, Eric knows exactly where he is all of the time. He will probably be Eric's little henchman for a long time."
What do you think Eric wants from him?
"He wants sex from him! No, I'm joking. He wants to take advantage of Lafayette's skills, because Lafayette can manoeuvre in the environment and take care of himself pretty well. I think Eric knows that and so he will use him, because that skill is pretty rare in Bon Temps."
At the end of season two we saw Bill being snatched. Have you any ideas on who took him?
"In the book he was snatched by Russell, the King of Mississippi. Alan's pretty good at mixing it up and changing the show so the readers of the books are always on their toes, so I don't know if he'll have Russell take him. I think it may be the Queen who takes him. Because if you remember, Bill's found out that Eric's been selling vampire blood. But Eric's been selling vampire blood because he's been ordered by the Queen to do it, and she didn't like the fact that Bill knows. This is all just speculation on my part though!"
When do you start filming season three?
"We start filming in December and we get scripts a week before we shoot, so we don't find out storylines until the week before. We have a code of silence, which if you break, you can get fired. Alan Ball ain't playing! It's serious. He doesn't want us spilling the beans on anything."
Have you ever read anything in a script and thought 'that's a bit too crazy'?
"Yeah, the pig and the witch. I was like 'okay, really?' I still don't understand the whole pig situation. It wasn't quite made clear why the pig is just chilling with her."
Snoop Dogg recently said he'd be interested in a role on the show. Do you think there's a place for him?
"Hahaha! No he didn't - did he? Absolutely there's a part for him, he could be a vampire or a werewolf. I'd love for him to be in it. That's surreal. I'm gonna tell Alan now!"
Finally, the viewing figures went crazy during season two. Why do you think that was?
"The second season was a bona fide hit. Not only that, we were beating out Entourage, The Sopranos... we had numbers they haven't seen in a long time. It's good because it says we'll be around for a while. But I don't know what happened second season to make the numbers triple. Maybe it was the pig and the witch!"
True Blood season three airs on HBO in 2010.
Subject: Q&A: True Blood's Lafayette speaks! 
Thu Nov 12, 2009 12:11 pm
