Lance Reddick , the actor best known for his performance as Cedric Daniels on The Wire and his work on John Wick, has died at the age of 60, according to his agent Mia Hansen, who said he died suddenly Friday morning of natural causes. Reddick lived with his wife, Stephanie Reddick, and children, Yvonne Nicole Reddick and Christopher Reddick.
Riddick began his career in the ’90s, on shows like New York Undercover and The West Wing. He then appeared in many films and shows during his 25-year acting career. He was also known for his breakout role as Baltimore Police Lieutenant Cedric Daniels on The Wire, a series that ran from 2002 to 2008. He received a SAG Award nomination in 2021 along with his fellow cast members for his role in One Night in Miami.
The beginning of Lance Reddick’s artistic career
As a teenager, growing up in Baltimore, he intended to become a musician , and got into acting as a way to support his young family and hopes to lay the foundation for a musical career. He studied classical music at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester in New York, where he earned a BA before attending the Yale School of Drama.
He began getting roles in regional theater and, at the age of 29, applied—and was accepted—to Yale University to study drama, eventually graduating.
In New York, he first auditioned from The Wire writer David Simon for his project, The Corner, an HBO miniseries that came two years before The Wire. While Riddick was not part of The Wire, he went on to book his first regular role in Oz, where he played an undercover detective posing as an inmate. Finally, Simon cast him in The Wire as Lieutenant Daniels, a breakout role for the late star.
Although The Wire didn’t become an overnight sensation, it was widely praised by critics and highly respected within the entertainment industry.
The late went on to add on to several more works after The Wire, with a memorable part on Lost and regular roles in the Fringe series, Bosch and most recently Resident Evil. In addition to the John Wick films, his supporting work on films includes One Night in Miami, Godzilla vs. Kong. Showing a lighter side to his artwork.
Riddick starred in the sitcom Young Sheldon and the TV comedy Key and Peele. Riddick was also the voice of Commander Zavala in the video games Bungie’s Destiny and Destiny 2, which saw a new expansion released in late February. He was one of the few voice actors in the game.
New works by Lance Reddick are slated to be shown
Next weekend, we will be graced by the presence of Lance Reddick in the fourth installment of John Wick. In addition to his work with this anticipated sequel, he is also starring in Ballerina featuring Ana de Armas and White Men Can’t Jump’s remake – both set for release soon!
Chad Stahelski, Director of John Wick: Chapter Four and Keanu Reeves–Lance Riddick’s co-star in the film series–released a heart-wrenching joint statement to Deadline expressing their immense sorrow. They both expressed how Lance was a true professional as well as an absolute pleasure to work with.
We dedicate this film to the loving memory of [Name], along with his wife Stephanie, children, family and friends. May our love and prayers be a comfort during this difficult time; he will truly be missed.
