Famed for his roles in the “John Wick” films and HBO’s “The Wire,” actor Lance Reddick passed away on Friday. He was 60.
In a statement to USA TODAY on Friday, the actor’s publicist, Mia Hansen, said that the actor had died of natural causes. “Lance will be sorely missed,” Hansen remarked.
Reddick’s portrayal of the honorable police officer Cedric Daniels in “The Wire” made him a household name in Baltimore. All five seasons of the show featured him as the lawyer-turned-lieutenant in charge of the narcotics unit of the Baltimore Police Department, where he oversaw the efforts of Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) and Kima Greggs (Sonja Sohn), among others, to bring down local drug trafficker Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris).
Charon, the hotel concierge at the Continental Hotel in the “John Wick” film, was another important part for him. Charon is very loyal to his boss, Winston (Ian McShane), and the two are very close.
In an interview with News 18 broadcast on Thursday, Reddick said, “Theirs is a tie that surpasses employer-employee and even friendship.”
Stephanie Reddick, the actor’s wife, took to Instagram on Saturday to express gratitude for the “overwhelming love, support, and lovely tales” from fans.
The loss of Lance was “much too soon,” she wrote. “Thank you very much for your messages; I really appreciate them.”
‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ stars pay tribute to Lance Reddick at L.A. premiere
Reddick has spent the past few weeks promoting “John Wick: Chapter 4” with a press tour. He was not present for the film’s March 15 New York premiere. He passed away two days later.
At the Los Angeles premiere of “John Wick: Chapter 4” the next week, Reddick was recognised by several of his co-stars, including Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne.
Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to our brother. I believe everyone here is still in disbelief. Fishburne, evidently shocked, paused for a moment before continuing, “Life is rough sometimes.”
According to Reeves, “I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity to have worked under his guidance and to have been in his presence. He cared deeply about what he did and was very good at it. He was a wonderful host. He carried himself with an air of respect and majesty.”
A lot of the crew donned blue ribbons in tribute to Reddick.
Losing someone you care about deeply is never easy, but it makes you appreciate the time you had with them much more. Lucky for us, Lance has been a part of the ‘John Wick franchise since the start. I mean, practically a decade has passed,” director Chad Stahelski reflected. I wish he could join us tonight, but life has other plans. Yet we count ourselves extremely lucky to have even met him. And he’s a fantastic guy, a brilliant artist, a wonderful human being, and a treasured friend.
Newcomer Shamier Moore noted that Reddick had said something nice to him on set.
I was a huge Lance Reddick fan as a kid. “As a young actor and a black actor, he was one of my heroes, so this is a bittersweet time,” Moore remarked. Although we didn’t have any on-screen time together, we got to know each other rather well off-set, and he struck me as a genuine, good guy.
Shamier, you are fantastic, he remarked. I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your work, man.
Halle Berry, Viola Davis, Ben Stiller remember Lance Reddick
The actor’s Hollywood co-stars, including Halle Berry, Idris Elba, Keanu Reeves, Viola Davis, and Ben Stiller, shared tributes in statements and on social media.
“Shocked!! Speechless!! This talented, kind, intelligent King is gone! Davis wrote on Instagram. “I was blessed to have worked with you and blessed to have known you.”
“I’ll never forget the huge smile and heartfelt hug Lance gave me as I walked on the set of John Wick for the first time,” Berry shared. “His kind, sweet energy lit up every room he was in, and his heart was larger than anything in it!”
Lance Reddick’s career from ‘New York Undercover to ‘John Wick’
Reddick was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on June 7th, 1962. He went on to study at Yale University’s Department of Theatre. In 1996, on the TV series “New York Undercover,” the actor earned his first acting credit. He continued to work in television throughout the ’90s, making appearances in sitcoms like “The Nanny” and “The West Wing.”
Reddick’s breakout role came in the fourth season of the HBO series “Oz,” in which he played a hopeless undercover detective sent to prison who becomes an addict.
“I just wasn’t a TV person. To me, it was always a step towards a greater goal. A lot of actors are exclusively interested in pursuing stage and screen work, and I was one of them. Yet, after ‘Oz,’ television would never be the same. It marked the beginning of HBO’s monopoly on groundbreaking, innovative art and television. His favourite movies are “those that harken back to the classic cinema of the ’60s and ’70s,” he told The Associated Press in 2011.
I leaped at the chance to work on “Oz.” And as a man who never wanted to be on TV, I knew I had to be on “The Wire” after reading the pilot.
He kept busy on television, guest-starring on series including “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “CSI: Miami,” “Lost,” and “Castle,” which are staples of the network. He starred in various films and television shows, including all three “John Wick” films, “I Dreamed of Africa,” “The Siege,” and “Great Expectations,” and on the show “The Wire” from 2002 to 2008.
Daniels, who was played by Reddick, worked his way up from lieutenant to major to colonel to deputy commissioner of operations. He did this while balancing his desire to move up in the ranks with his desire to do good police work in spite of political interference and cuts in funding.
Reddick’s co-star on “The Wire,” Michael K. Williams, who played Omar Little to widespread acclaim, passed away on September 6, 2021. “One of the kindest, gentlest, most honest, caring, and fearless beings I’ve ever known,” Reddick said of Williams at the time.
Recently, Reddick has provided his voice for a number of animated shows, including “The Tale of Vox Machina,” “Paradise PD,” and “The Vindicators.”
In 2021, he was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award as a member of the ensemble cast of “One Night in Miami,” a film by Regina King. Reddick was on “Bosch” for all seven of its seasons. He also had recurring roles on “Intelligence” and “American Horror Story.”
His next work includes the White Guys Can’t Jump adaptation for 20th Century Fox and the Shirley Chisholm biography for Netflix. In addition to “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,” he was set to participate in the “John Wick” spinoff “Ballerina.”
Reddick studied classical composition and piano at the illustrious Eastman School of Music. His debut jazz album, “Contemplations and Remembrances,” was released that same year.
His wife, Stephanie, and his two children, Yvonne Nicole and Christopher, will carry on without him. In his honour, donations can be sent to momcares.org in Baltimore.
