The Wire and John Wick actor Lance Reddick passes away at age 60

THE NEW YORK The Wire, Fringe, and the “John Wick” series all featured Lance Reddick as intense, frigid, and perhaps malevolent authority figures. Lance Reddick passed away. He was 60.

Reddick’s spokesperson Mia Hansen stated in a statement that he passed away “suddenly” Friday morning and that natural causes were to blame. No other information was offered.

Co-star of “The Wire” Wendell Pierce paid tribute to Reddick on Twitter. A guy of extraordinary power and grace, he described himself as. “As gifted an actor as he was a musician. The pinnacle of class Director Chad Stahelski and actor Keanu Reeves of “John Wick — Chapter Four” said they were “truly shocked and grieved by the passing” and dedicated the future movie to Reddick.

Throughout his career, Reddick was frequently cast as tall, reserved, and distinguished men of distinction, generally wearing a suit or a sharp uniform. On the popular HBO series “The Wire,” where his character was agonizingly caught up in the murky politics of the Baltimore police department, he was most known for playing the stiff-upper-lipped Lt. Cedric Daniels.

“At my core, I’m an artist. I consider myself to be an expert in my field. I knew I was at least as brilliant as the other students when I entered theater school, but I also knew that I would have to put in a lot of extra effort since I am a Black guy and I am not very attractive,” Reddick told the Los Angeles Times in 2009.

In addition, Reddick played a special agent named Phillip Broyles on the Fox television program “Fringe,” the well-dressed Matthew Abaddon on “Lost,” and the multi-talented Continental Hotel concierge Charon in the four “John Wick” films produced by Lionsgate, the fourth of which will be released later this month.

Without Lance Reddick and the unmatched depth he added to Charon’s compassion and unflappable charm, the world of Wick would not be what it is today. We will remember Lance as our delightful, happy friend and Concierge, not as his immeasurable legacy or extraordinarily incredible piece of work, Lionsgate stated in a statement.

In 2021, Reddick received a SAG Award nomination for his work in the Regina King ensemble movie “One Night in Miami.” He appeared in repeat episodes of “Intelligence,” “American Horror Story,” and “Bosch” for seven years.

His next projects include “White Guys Can’t Jump,” a remake for 20th Century, and “Shirley,” a Netflix biography of Shirley Chisholm, a former congresswoman. He was also expected to star in “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial” and the “John Wick” spinoff “Ballerina.”

After graduating from Yale University’s acting program, Baltimore-born and -raised Reddick found some success by securing guest or recurring roles on “CSI: Miami” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” Also, he had appearances in a number of films, such as “I Dreamed of Africa,” “The Siege,” and “Great Expectations.”

Reddick saw a breakthrough in his acting career while portraying a hopeless undercover cop who is imprisoned and develops an addiction in season four of “Oz”.

“Television never piqued my curiosity. I’ve always thought of it as a tool. Like so many actors, I was only interested in performing theater and movies. Yet “Oz” revolutionized television. It marked the start of HBO’s dominance over high-caliber, provocative, creative content. Something that evokes the best 1960s and 1970s film,” he told The Associated Press in 2011.

“When the chance for ‘Oz’ presented itself, I seized it. As a man who had never wanted to appear on television, I understood I had to be on “The Wire” after I read the pilot.

Reddick studied classical composition and played the piano at the esteemed Eastman School of Music. His jazzy first album, “Contemplations and Remembrances,” was released in 2011.

On the CBS television drama “Intelligence,” he played the Central Intelligence Agency’s director Jeffrey Tetazoo in recurrent episodes. He played Papa Legba, the intermediary between the human race and the spirit realm, on “American Horror Story: Coven”.