Jay Ellis
Introduction
Wendell Ramone Ellis Jr. (born December 27, 1981), better known by his stage name Jay Ellis, is an American actor. His is best known for his roles in BET's series The Game and HBO's series Insecure.
Early life
Wendell Ramone Ellis Jr. was born on December 27, 1981, in Fort Sumter, South Carolina. His father worked in Air Force, while his mother worked as a finance executive. He is the only child of the family. He went to 12 schools in 13 years, before attending the Concordia University in Oregon, where he played basketball. In 2004, he moved to Los Angeles to focus on his acting career.
He mentioned in an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that he worked as a public relations intern for the Portland Trail Blazers during their infamous "Jail Blazers" era. Source
Career
His first major acting role was in 2013, starring in BET's series The Game. In August 2015, it was announced that Ellis has joined the cast of HBO's comedy series Insecure, which premiered in October 2016. He plays the role of Lawrence Walker, who has a long-term relationship with main character Issa Dee played by Issa Rae.
Personal life
In 2017, Ellis partnered with leading HIV/AIDS research organization, amfAR, to help eradicate the staggering rates of HIV cases in the black community.
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Triple Standard | Lewis | Short film |
| 2011 | Hatched: A Tale of Great Egg-spectations | Jay | Short film |
| 2011 | Let's Do This! | Ugandan Thug #1 / Ceiling Mop Ugandan | TV movie |
| 2012 | Election Eve | Jeff | Short film |
| 2013 | Movie 43 | Lucious | segment "Victory's Glory" |
| 2013 | Dear Secret Santa | Brad | TV movie |
| 2014 | Mass Shooting News Team | Unknown | Short film |
| 2014 | The Black Bachelor | Unknown | Short film |
| 2015 | My Favorite Five | Jonathan Colburn | |
| 2015 | November Rule | James Avedon | |
| 2015 | Breaking Through | Quinn | |
| 2015 | Twelve Steps | Ray | Short film |
| 2016 | Like Cotton Twines | Micha Brown | |
| 2016 | Shortwave | Robert |
Television series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Invasion | Soldier (uncredited) | Episode: "Watershed" |
| 2005 | Related | College student | Episode: "Hang in There, Baby" |
| 2010 | The Bold and the Beautiful | Orderly | Episode: "Episode #1.5922" |
| 2011 | Grey's Anatomy | DJ | Episode: "White Wedding |
| 2011 | NCIS | Marine PFC Thomas 'Tommy' Hill | Episode: "Restless" |
| 2012 | How I Met Your Mother | Sound guy | Episode: "Tailgate" |
| 2012 | Hart of Dixie | Resident | Episode: "Heart to Hart" |
| 2012 | iCarly | Friend #1 | Episode: "iFind Spencer Friends" |
| 2012 | Crash & Bernstein | Derek | Episode: "Coach Crash" |
| 2013–15 | The Game | Bryce "Blueprint" Westbrook | 45 episodes |
| 2013 | NCIS: Los Angeles | Naval Flight Officer Randall Baker | Episode: "Purity" |
| 2014 | Masters of Sex | Dr. Cyril Franklin | Episode: "Giants" |
| 2016 | Grace and Frankie | Dan | Episode: "The Anchor" |
| 2016–17 | Insecure | Lawrence Walker | Main role, all episodes |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Awards | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Black Reel Awards for Television | Outstanding Supporting Actor, Comedy Series | Insecure | Nominated |