American actor and model Jay Ellis has no doubt solidified his stay in the entertainment industry with his polarizing role as Lawrence Walker in HBO’s hit series Insecure as created by Issa Rae, one of the show’s main characters who stars as Walker’s love interest. The role brought Ellis the breakthrough he long deserved following a decade spent paying his dues in the industry. It nabbed him his first award, an NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Here is a look at his rise to TV stardom, as well as facts about his personal life.
Jay Ellis Bio (Age)
Jay was born Wendell Ramone Ellis Jr. on December 27, 1981, in Sumter, South Carolina. He is the only child of his parents Wendell Ellis Sr, a US Air Force veteran, and Paula Ellis, a finance executive. As typical of military brats, Ellis relocated often and as such, attended 12 schools in the space of 13 years. Ellis traveled across the country and spent time living abroad in countries like Germany and the Philippines.
He attended Oregon’s Concordia University where he played basketball. Jay had sought to play basketball professionally but destiny had other plans up her sleeves. In addition to being a jock, he was quite good with his academics and as a result, was elected as the school’s student body president.
Ellis interned at the Portland Trail Blazers in their public relations department. After graduating summa cum laude with a business degree from Concordia, he ditched the corporate world for a career in entertainment, starting out as a model for sportswear brands like Nike, Adidas, and Columbia Sportswear.
He dabbled in acting in 2004 and relocated to Los Angeles to better his chances at a successful acting career. Like most burgeoning actors, Ellis began by taking up small parts in TV shows. Some of the TV shows he appeared in include; Related, The Bold and the Beautiful, Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS, and How I Met Your Mother. During the same period, Ellis appeared in a number of short films before landing his first major role in the BET series, The Game which premiered in 2013 and ended in August 2015.
His next major role as Lawrence in Insecure would become the biggest break of his career. He starred in 2018 films; In a Relationship, and A Boy, A Girl, A Dream.
When Jay Ellis isn’t on set or auditioning for a film role, he spends his time advocating for HIV/AIDS Awareness or engaging in some philanthropic activities. He has volunteered at the Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles.
Net Worth
Ellis finally got the widespread recognition he needed, thanks to Insecure. With an increased level of popularity, Ellis is bound to earn more from his roles. In addition to acting, this actor bolsters his income with the proceeds from his Pilates-focused fitness studio, body + which is located in Lafayette, Louisiana. He started the business with a friend. Ellis is a certified Pilates instructor, his net worth is estimated at $3 million.
Wife or Girlfriend, Is He Married or Dating?
Jay Ellis is incredibly sexy and more… educated and successful. Simply put, he is the man of many women’s dreams and it comes as no surprise that a bulk of his fans are females. Sadly for those females, especially the ones that would be secretly hoping they could get the chance to date him, Ellis is off the market!
Yup! Jay Ellis is dating a certain Serbian model named Nina Senicar. He loves to keep his personal life private and gives little to no details away when it comes to his romantic life. However, it has come to light that the two could have started their romance in 2015. He spoke about his relationship for the first time in 2017 on Charlamagne’s radio show, The Breakfast Club.
On a good number of occasions, Ellis has been spotted out in the public attending industry events with his white beau by his side. One such occasion was the Late Night Soiree held to celebrate iconic moments in the film industry in Cannes, France in May 2018.
Is He Gay?
Jay Eliss’s sexual orientation has been put into question in time past after unfounded rumors began swirling that he was gay. However, that is incredibly false. Ellis has dated only women in his life. Prior to dating his Serbian princess, he was rumored to have dated actress Brittany Daniel. Ellis himself has openly denied the gay rumors. It isn’t clear what led to the rumors but suspicions are that the fact that he admitted to Mount Gay XO being his favorite drink stirred it up.
Jay Ellis Height
Jay Ellis is quite a tall man and stands at a height of 6 feet 2 inches which is the equivalent of 1.9 m. The hunky actor has a chiseled athletic build and brown eyes.
