‘The Wire’ and ‘John Wick’ star Lance Reddick dies at 60

(CNN) Lance Reddick, actor known for playing Cedric Daniels “electric wire” and he is in “John Wick” Seriesaccording to his representative, Mia Hansen, has died.

He is 60 years old.

Redick died suddenly Friday morning of “natural causes,” Hansen said.

“We will miss Lance terribly,” she said.

An actor whose captivating presence often leads him to roles that require intensity and gravitas, Reddick began his career in the ’90s, earning honors on shows such as “New York Undercover” and “New York Undercover” “West Wing.”

As a teenager growing up in Baltimore, he had intended to be a musician, he once told the guardian. He started acting to support his family and hope to lay the groundwork for a career in music.

He started getting roles in regional theater, and at age 29, he applied to and was accepted to Yale University to study drama, eventually graduating.

In New York, he first auditioned for “The Wire” creator David Simon for his project “The Corner,” an HBO miniseries that predates Simon’s “The Wire” by two years.

While Redick wasn’t in that project, he did go on to book his first regular role in HBO’s “Oz,” in which he played an undercover detective posing as a prisoner.

Eventually, Simon cast him as Lieutenant Daniels in the narcotics team, a breakout role for Reddick.

Although “The Wire” was never a big hit, it received rave reviews from critics and the industry.

“I thought it was going to be a hit, but I didn’t expect it would take this long, or that it would become this phenomenon,” Redick told the Guardian. “Or it would be so overlooked by the industry. It really blows my mind because I know how good we are; we’ve all done it.”

His Telegraph partner Wendell Pierce called Redick a “man of great strength and grace” in his eulogy on Friday.

“He was as much an actor as he was a talented musician,” Pierce wrote. “The epitome of the class. It was sudden, unexpected and intense pain for our artistic family. It was unimaginable pain for his family and loved ones. Good luck, I Friend. You left your mark here.”

Redick has many accolades to his name after “The Wire,” with a memorable part in “Lost” and the Fox sci-fi series “Fringe,” Amazon’s “Bosch,” and most recently, Netflix’s “Resident Evil.” Regular role in ”

Redick told the Los Angeles Times in 2019 that his “Lost” character was supposed to be a series regular, but plans changed when he booked a “Fringe” regular. Still, he said, even his brief stint on one of the biggest TV shows of the time gave him a new kind of fame.

“That was the first time the fans were really weird. I was living in New York and everyone seemed to stop me from talking about Lost. I went from being notorious to being totally recognizable,” he said. explain.

In addition to the “John Wick” movies, his supporting credits include “Miami Nights,” “Godzilla vs. Kong,” and the upcoming remake of “White Men Can’t Dance.”

Despite his trademark intensity, Redick also showed a lighter side, guest-starring on the sitcom “Young Sheldon” and the skit series “Kee & Peele.”

Reddick also voiced Commander Zavala in Bungie’s Destiny and Destiny 2 video games — the latter of which released a new expansion pack in late February. He is one of the few voice actors in the game, having voiced Destiny’s Vanguard since 2014.

Redick out in the fourth quarter “John Wick” Moviewhich opens in theaters next weekend.

“John Wick: Chapter 4” director Chad Stahelski and Reddick co-star Keanu Reeves said in a joint statement: “We mourn the loss of our beloved friend and… My colleague Lance Redick is deeply saddened and heartbroken.” deadline“He was a consummate professional and a pleasure to work with. Our love and prayers are with his wife Stephanie, his children, family and friends. We dedicate this film to his loving Memory. We will miss him terribly.”

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

Donations can be made to Baltimore’s momcares.org in his honor, according to his representatives.

CNN’s Angela Fritz contributed to this report.