Lance Reddick, known for his roles in the television series The Wire and the John Wick film franchise, has been reported dead at the age of 60. The actor passed away at his Studio City home in Los Angeles on Friday, March 17.
Reddick had been in the industry for more than 25 years. Apart from being an actor, he was also a musician. The news of his demise comes just a week before the release of his upcoming film, John Wick: Chapter 4.
Actor Lance Reddick Passes Away at 60
Reddick’s publicist, Mia Hansen, confirmed his death, revealing that he died of natural causes on Friday morning. Police were called to his house around 9:30 am when he was found unresponsive. “Lance will be greatly missed. Please respect his family’s privacy at this time,” Hansen said in a statement.
Reddick is survived by his wife, Stephanie Reddick; daughter, Yvonne Nicole Reddick; and son, Christopher Reddick. At the time of his death, the actor was in the middle of a press tour for John Wick: Chapter 4, which releases on March 24.
Born in 1962 in Baltimore, Reddick earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Yale School of Drama in 1994. He then started his career by appearing in an episode of Fox’s New York Undercover in 1996.
Reddick Starred in a Number of Films and TV Shows
After a number of small roles, Reddick landed the lead role in HBO’s The Wire in 2002. He portrayed Baltimore police lieutenant Cedric Daniels and shot to wide fame. The actor appeared in the show for all of its five seasons until its conclusion in 2008.
He then appeared in ABC’s Lost as Matthew Abaddon. Meanwhile, he also pursued a career in music and launched his debut album, Contemplations & Remembrances, in 2007. Reddick also appeared in the shows Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, CSI: Miami, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, American Horror Story: Coven, and The Blacklist.
He was also cast in main roles in Fox’s Fringe, Amazon’s Bosch, and Netflix’s Resident Evil. In 2014, he played the role of Charon in John Wick, followed by its sequels in 2017 and 2019. The rest of his film credits include Godzilla vs. Kong, One Night in Miami, Angel Has Fallen, The Domestics, White House Down, Sylvie’s Love, and Little Woods.
Tributes Pour in for the Actor
A number of colleagues and fans of the actor have paid tribute to him on social media. Reddick’s co-star from The Wire, Isiah Whitlock Jr., wrote, “Shocked and saddened by the news that Lance Reddick has passed away. Truly heartbreaking. R.I.P. My friend. You will be missed. God speed.”
Actor Wendell Pierce tweeted, “A man of great strength and grace. As talented a musician as he was an actor. The epitome of class. A sudden unexpected sharp painful grief for our artistic family. An unimaginable suffering for his personal family and loved ones. Godspeed my friend. You made your mark here. RIP”
James Gunn also expressed his grief and wrote, “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.” Author Stephen King tweeted, “Wonderful actor; wonderful man. This is sad news.”
Our condolences to Lance Reddick’s family and friends. May his soul rest in peace!