Actor Buddy Duress Has Died

Actor Buddy Duress, known for portraying Ray in 2017’s Good Time opposite Robert Pattinson, has died. Filmmaker Jay Karales, who directed Duress in his film Mass State Lottery, confirmed the actor’s passing on Friday on X (formerly Twitter), remembering him as “an absolute treasure” who “brought a certain authenticity and charisma to the screen that you just don’t see anymore.” Duress’ cause of death was not disclosed.

Often applauded for his authentic and relatable performances, the New York City native landed his breakthrough role with his portrayal of Ilya in 2014’s Heaven Knows What. Directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, whom Duress often worked with, the film offered a depiction of life on New York City’s streets. While Duress would go on to add numerous other credits to his name, his acting career was often sidelined by stints at New York City’s Rikers Island.

Duress’ first time in Rikers was more than a decade ago for petty larceny. Duress was even at Rikers when Heaven Knows What premiered at the New York Film Festival in 2014, per the New York Post. Despite having been sent to Rikers 10 times on charges ranging from heroin possession to identity theft, Duress managed to continue his acting career, with director Dustin Guy Defa even casting him as Paul in Person to Person after going to Rikers to audition him.

Along with Good Times and Person to Person, Duress’ other credits include Funny Pages, The Mountain, The Great Darkened Days, Beware of Dog, PVT Chat, and Flinch. In Karales’ Mass State Lottery, a film that follows a private investigator who stumbles upon a pattern of murders as he manipulates a grieving mother to save his dying business, Duress portrays Ivan.

News of the actor’s passing sparked a flurry of tributes on social media. On X, one fan wrote, “Deeply sad to find out Buddy Duress passed away. Without exaggeration, he’s the best performer in Good Time, second only to Robert Pattinson himself.” On Reddit, another person wrote, “He was my favourite part in Good Time. May he rest in peace,” with somebody else adding, “Such an incredible, raw, and authentic performance in Good Time. Unforgettable. A real loss to the world of cinema; dude had so much potential.”