Lance Reddick, 'The Wire' and 'John Wick' Star, Dead at 60

By Stephen Andrew

Actor Lance Reddick, well known for his roles in the John Wick movie franchise and the acclaimed TV series The Wire, has died. TMZ was first to report that Reddick's body was discovered Friday morning at his Studio City home, around 9:30 a.m., with Reddick's reps later confirming the news. His cause of death is unknown at this time, but police sources told TMZ that there does not appear to be any kind of foul play. Reddick was 60 years old.

Reddick was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on June 2, 1962. He was drawn to acting as a child and eventually grew up to graduate from Yale School of Drama in 1994, with a Master of Fine Arts. Shortly after, he began to land parts on TV shows such as New York Undercover and The Nanny, followed by small roles in films like Godzilla (1998) and Great Expectations, alongside Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow. Eventually, he earned a recurring role on HBO's Oz, playing Johnny Basil, and then just two years later he was cast as police lieutenant Cedric Daniels in The Wire, also at HBO.

Reddick enjoyed an illustrious TV career, adding multiple awards nominations for his roles on both Fringe and Bosch. In 2014, his film career kicked into high gear when he appeared in John Wick as Charon, the main concierge at The Continental Hotel. Reddick reprised the role in John Wick Chapter 2 as well as John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and the upcoming John Wick Chapter 4. 

TMZ reports that Reddick had been doing press for the new John Wick film around the time of his death. The outlet states that Reddick was set to appear on The Kelly Clarkson Show in support of the movie. There is currently no word on if he filmed any scenes for John Wick 5, which was originally supposed to film back-to-back with the fourth film but had to be postponed due to complications caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The news of Reddick's passing has hit fans hard, with many taking to social media to mourn the late star. "Lance Reddick is the kind of actor that improved every single project just by being there. This loss is immeasurable. May he rest in peace," tweeted screenwriter BJ Colangelo. Filmmaker James Gunn added, "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."

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