‘The Wire’ and ‘John Wick’ star Lance Reddick dead at 60 – Boston News, Weather, Sports

(CNN) – Lance Reddick, an actor best known for his performance as Cedric Daniels on The Wire and for his work in the John Wick franchise, has died, according to his rep Mia Hansen.

He was 60.

Hansen said Reddick passed away suddenly “of natural causes” on Friday morning.

“Lance will be greatly missed,” she said.

An actor whose compelling presence often landed him in roles that required intensity and gravitas, Reddick began his career in the ’90s with appearances on shows like New York Undercover and The West Wing.

As a teenager growing up in Baltimore, he had intended to be a musician, he once told The Guardian. He took up acting to support his young family and in hopes of laying a foundation for a music career.

He began earning roles in regional theater, and at 29 he applied – and was accepted – to Yale University to study drama, where he eventually graduated.

In New York, he auditioned for Wire creator David Simon for his project The Corner, an HBO miniseries that predated Simon’s The Wire two years ago.

Although Reddick was not involved with this project, he booked his first regular role on HBO’s “Oz,” playing an undercover detective posing as an inmate.

Eventually, Simon cast him as Lt. Daniels of the Narcotics Unit, a breakthrough role for Reddick.

Though “The Wire” was never a big hit, its critical and industry acclaim was sky-high.

“I thought it would be a hit, but I didn’t expect it to take so long to catch on or for it to become this phenomenon,” Reddick told the Guardian. “Or that it would be so ignored by the industry. That really blew my mind because I knew how good we were; we all did.”

His “Wire” co-star Wendall Pierce remembered Reddick as a “man of great strength and grace” in a tribute on Friday.

“As a talented musician as well as an actor” Pierce wrote. “The epitome of class. A sudden, unexpected, sharp, painful sadness for our family of artists. An unimaginable suffering for his personal family and loved ones. Thank god my friend. You’ve made a name for yourself here.”

Reddick added numerous credits to his name after The Wire, with a memorable role on Lost and regular roles on Fox sci-fi series Fringe, Amazon’s Bosch, and more recently Netflix’s version of Resident Evil”. .”

Reddick told the Los Angeles Times in 2019 that his Lost character was going to be a series regular, but plans changed when he booked a regular on Fringe. However, he said, even his brief stint on one of the biggest television shows of the time brought him a new kind of fame.

“That was the first time the fans were really weird. I was living in New York at the time and everyone seemed to stop me from talking about Lost. I’ve gone from being a little niche celebrity to being totally recognizable,” he said called.

Aside from the John Wick films, his supporting roles in films have included One Night in Miami, Godzilla vs. Kong and the upcoming remake White Men Can’t Jump.

Despite his characteristic intensity, Reddick also showed a lighter side, appearing as a guest on the sitcom Young Sheldon and the sketch show Key and Peele.

Reddick was also the voice of Commander Zavala in Bungie’s Destiny and Destiny 2 video games – the latter having a new expansion released in late February. He was one of only a few voice actors in the game and has served as the voice of Destiny’s vanguard since 2014.

Reddick stars in the fourth John Wick movie, which hits theaters next weekend.

“We are deeply saddened and heartbroken by the loss of our beloved friend and colleague Lance Reddick,” said Chad Stahelski, director of John Wick: Chapter Four, and Reddick’s co-star Keanu Reeves in a joint statement meeting. “He was the consummate professional and a pleasure to work with. Our love and prayers are with his wife Stephanie, his children, family and friends. We dedicate the film to his loving memory. We will miss him very much.”

Reddick is survived by his wife Stephanie Reddick and children Yvonne Nicole Reddick and Christopher Reddick.

Donations in his memory can be made at momcares.org in Baltimore, according to his representative.

(Copyright (c) 2022 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, transcribed or redistributed.)