According to his publicist, Mia Hansen, Lance Reddick, an actor most known for playing Cedric Daniels on “The Wire” and for his role in the “John Wick” film series, has passed away at 60.
Reddick died unexpectedly on Friday morning “from natural causes,” according to Hansen.
She said that Lance would be deeply missed.
Reddick began his acting career in the 1990s, appearing in episodes of “New York Undercover” and “The West Wing,” parts that frequently called for gravitas and intensity.
He once told The Guardian that when he was an adolescent growing up in Baltimore, he wanted to be a musician. He stumbled into acting as a way to support his small family and build a foundation for a music career.
He started getting jobs in local theatre, and at the age of 29, he applied to Yale University to study acting and was accepted. He eventually graduated.
He originally appeared in David Simon’s “The Corner,” an HBO miniseries that was produced two years before Simon’s “The Wire,” in New York.
Reddick was not involved in that production, but he did go on to land his first recurring part on HBO’s “Oz,” in which he portrayed an undercover cop impersonating a prisoner.
Finally, Simon cast him as Narcotics Unit Lieutenant Daniels, giving Reddick his breakthrough role.
“The Wire” never became a big hit, but it received a ton of praise from critics and professionals in the field.
The fourth “John Wick” movie, which hits theatres next weekend, will feature him.
Reddick leaves behind his wife Stephanie Reddick, as well as his kids Christopher Reddick and Yvonne Nicole Reddick.
According to his agent, momcares.org in Baltimore is accepting donations in his honour.