Lance Reddick, star of “The Wire” and “John Wick” has died at the age of 60.

By MARK KENNEDY

NEW YORK (AP) — Lance Reddick, a character actor who specialized in intense, icy and potentially villainous personas on television and film, including the “The Wire,” “Fringe” and “John Wick” franchises, has died. He was 60 years old.

Reddick died “suddenly” Friday morning, his publicist Mia Hansen said in a statement, citing natural causes. No further details were given.

Wendell Pierce, Reddick’s “The Wire” co-star, paid tribute on Twitter. “A man of great strength and grace” wrote “A talented musician, he was an actor. Class model.” John Wick: Chapter Four director Chad Stahelski and star Keanu Reeves said they dedicated the upcoming film to Reddick and were “deeply saddened and heartbroken” by the loss.

Throughout his career, Reddick was often seen in a suit or dress, playing tall, quiet and elegant men. He is best known for his role as Lt. Cedric Daniels on the hit HBO series The Wire, where his character becomes infuriatingly caught up in the chaotic politics of the Baltimore Police Department.

“The Wire” creator David Simon praised Reddick on Twitter: “A perfect colleague, a loyal colleague, a charming and gentle person, a loyal friend. I could go on, but no, I can’t. It hurts. And way, way, way too fast.”

“I am an artist at heart. I feel that I am very good at my job. When I went to drama school, I knew I was at least as talented as the other students, but because I was a black man and not pretty, I knew I had to do my best. to be and to be noticed,” Reddick told the Los Angeles Times in 2009.

Reddick also starred as Special Agent Phillip Broyles on Fox’s Fringe, Matthew Abaddon in The Lost, and starred in Lionsgate’s John Wick films, including the fourth film Continental Hotel concierge Charon. series that will be released at the end of this month.

“The world of Vic wouldn’t be the same without Lance Reddick and the unparalleled depth he brought to Charon’s humanity and unmatched charisma. Lance leaves behind an unforgettable legacy and an incredibly influential body of work, but we will always remember him as a beautiful, joyful friend and Concierge.” ,” Lionsgate said in a statement.

Reddick won a SAG Award in 2021 as part of the ensemble cast of Regina King’s One Night in Miami. He had recurring roles on The Intelligencer and American Horror Story, and had a seven-year run on the Bosch show.

Her upcoming projects include the 20th century remake of “White Men Can’t Jump” and “Shirley,” the Netflix biopic about former congresswoman Shirley Chisholm. He is also scheduled to appear in John Wick’s Ballerina as well as The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.

Born and raised in Baltimore, Reddick was a graduate of Yale University’s School of Drama who found success after school with guest spots or recurring roles on “CSI: Miami” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” He has also acted in several films including I Dreamed of Africa, The Siege and Great Expectations.

It was in the fourth season of Oz that Reddick had a career breakthrough, playing an undercover officer sent to a prison who becomes a drug addict.

“I was never interested in television. I always saw it as a means to an end. Like many actors, I was only interested in theater and film. But ‘Oz’ changed television. This was the beginning of HBO’s reign of quality, interesting and artistic material. Things that go back to the great cinema of the ’60s and ’70s,” he told The Associated Press in 2011.

“When the opportunity for ‘Oz’ came up, I jumped at it. And when I read the pilot for ‘The Wire,’ as a guy who never wanted to be on TV, I knew I had to be on the show.”

Reddick attended the prestigious Eastman School of Music, where he studied classical composition and played the piano. His first jazz album, Thoughts and Memories, was released in 2011.

He had a recurring role as Jeffrey Tetazu, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, on the CBS series The Intelligencer. In American Horror Story: Coven, he portrayed Papa Legba, who is between humanity and the spirit world.

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

His death was first reported by the popular website TMZ.com.