Actor Lance Reddick, who became well known for playing Cedric Daniels in the beloved HBO series The Wire, has died, according to multiple reports. He was just 60.
Citing law enforcement sources, TMZ reported that Reddick was found dead around 9:30 a.m. Friday in his Studio City home. His cause of death remains unknown, but a representative at Portrait PR told Deadline it was from natural causes.
Recent social media posts appeared to show Reddick in good health and spirits, with his last Instagram post showing him at home, smiling and surrounded by his dogs.
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Reddick has been going across the country recently on a press tour for the fourth installment of the John Wick franchise, in which he plays “Charon.” TMZ reports he also had a guest appearance scheduled for next week on Kelly Clarkson’s show.
“We are deeply saddened and heartbroken at the loss of our beloved friend and colleague Lance Reddick. He was the consummate professional and a joy to work with,” John Wick star Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski said in a statement. “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 dearly.”
Reddick began his acting career in the ’90s with guest appearances on The Nanny and New York Undercover. He first reached the big screen in 1997 on What the Deaf Man Heard and his career took off from there, as he landed spots in Great Expectations and The Siege before nabbing a recurring role on HBO’s The Corner in 2000.
A Baltimore native himself, Reddick gave a breakthrough performance on The Wire, where he played an officer in the Baltimore Police Department who works his way up the ranks. Across the show’s five seasons, Reddick appeared in every episode as he made guest appearances on other cop dramas, including CSI: Miami and Law and Order.
The latter part of Reddick’s career centered around his role in the John Wick franchise, where he is a concierge at New York’s Continental Hotel who often works alongside Wick (played by Keanu Reeves).
The latest John Wick film, Chapter Four, will hit theaters on March 24. Reddick reportedly skipped out on attending the film’s premiere in New York City this month, but never publicly said why.
Reddick is survived by his wife, Stephanie Reddick, and children Yvonne and Christopher.
“Lance Reddick was a beautiful and compelling actor,” actor Ben Stiller wrote in a tribute on Twitter. “And a beautiful person. He worked with my mom Anne Meara in her play Afterplay, playing Raziel, the waiter slash angel of death. He was exquisite in that and all he did.”
