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‘True Blood’ Lafayette Nelsan Ellis Blast Luke Grimes After Gay James Nathan Parsons Recast and Jessica Deborah Ann Woll Breakup [SPOILERS] [SEASON 7]

Fans of True Blood have surely noticed that Jessica’s (Deborah Ann Woll) Season 6 boyfriend, James Kent is being being played by a different actor for Season 7. Newcomer, Nathan Parsons has replaced American Sniper actor Luke Grimes. It has been rumored that the role was recast because Luke Grimes, didn’t want to play gay. Where Grimes’ rep has denied this claim, Lafayette actor Nelsan Ellis has suggested that rumors are true.

Ellis recently spoke to Vulture where he blasted Luke Grimes:

“I can say I'm not going to make a comment, but I just think that, you're an actor, you're an actor on a show that's True Blood, we're all sitting there going, ‘You quit your job because ... really?’ I'm just... I'm over him. You quit your job because you don't want to play a gay part? As if it's ... You know what? I'm going to stop talking.”

However, he didn’t stop talking, adding:

“If you have a child, if you have a son, and he comes out as gay, what are you going to do? If you have a daughter who comes out gay ...? You just made a statement, and it has ripple effects. First of all, this show, it's True Blood, and shit, we get scared when we read scripts! Excuse my language. When scripts come, we're like, ‘What are they going to have us do this week?’ But when you make a statement that is a judgment ... I was kind of like, ‘Have you met Alan Ball?’ I'm supposed to do what my boss tells me to do, as an actor. I can't approach a character with judgment. I certainly can't tell my boss, ‘I can act what I want to act, but not what you tell me to act,’ especially on a show where you come in, knowing what it is. I was like, ‘Okay... I guess?’"

However, Ellis found it easy to work with the current James, Nathan Parsons, adding:

“It was easy breezy, just like Kevin (Alejandro). Because Nathan is a professional. He shows up and does his job, and he puts his heart into it. Kissing him was weird at first, but then I went, ‘Okay!’ Same with Kevin--I can close my eyes, and you can be the girlfriend. It's not really a big deal. It's easy breezy. I mean, he's a wonderful actor. I love watching him work. Love watching him work. Our first scene together, I just listened to him talk most of the time. And we have good chemistry, and it worked. It worked. “

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