Lance Reddick dead at 60
Famed actor Lance Reddick has passed away at the age of 60. Reports say that Reddick passed away in his home from what appears to be natural causes.
Reddick was known prominently for his roles in The Wire, where he played Cedric Daniels, a well-regarded police officer working in the inner city of Baltimore, Maryland. From there, he starred in other major TV roles, working with producer JJ Abrams on the shows Fringe and Lost. Reddick was most recently reprising his role as Charon in John Wick: Chapter 4 and was currently on a press tour to promote the film.
Reddick was originally scheduled to appear on The Kelly Clarkson Show later next week and had even posted pictures from his recent press tour a few days ago. While there was a screening for John Wick: Chapter 4 in New York on Wednesday, Reddick did not show up to the premiere.
At the time of his death, Reddick was also in production on the Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, where he would have played Zeus. Reddick was also starring in a recent adaptation of White Men Can’t Jump at the time of writing. John Wick: Chapter 4 hit theatres on March 6th, 2023.
As of yet, no cause of death has been released. His body was discovered at his Studio City home on Friday, March 17th, at 9:30am. Attending officers say that it appeared to be of natural causes.
In the wake of the news, tributes for Reddick have started to trickle in. Director James Gunn, reacting to the news, said: “Lance Reddick was an incredibly nice guy, and an incredibly talented actor. This is heartbreaking. My love goes out to all his family, friends, and collaborators.”
Actor Ben Stiller said: “Lance Reddick was a beautiful and compelling actor. And a beautiful person. He worked with my mom Anne Meara in her play “Afterplay”, playing Raziel, the waiter slash angel of death. He was exquisite in that and all he did. Nothing is lost.”
Questlove, the musician and film director, took to social media to say: “I can’t take it no more. RIP Lance Reddick.”
Prior to his work in The Wire, Reddick had started his television career on the show New York Undercover in the role of Oscar Griffin. From there, he played bit roles in crime dramas such as Law and Order and CSI before landing the role of Cedric Daniels in The Wire.
Reddick’s past work with JJ Abrams also helped the actor secure the role in Lost. While working on the series Oz, many actors transferred over to Lost. Though Reddick was originally slated to play the role of Mr. Eko in the show, his commitment to The Wire led to him having a more muted role as Matthew Abbadon.
Reddick’s role on the big screen began with a role in the 1998 film Great Expectations as Anton Le Farge while also providing an uncredited role in the 1998 adaptation of Godzilla. From there, Reddick moved to have small parts in blockbuster movies such as Jonah Hex as well as the thriller White House Down before landing on the role of Charon in the John Wick franchise.
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