Actor Lance Reddick died last week of natural causes in his home at the age of 60. Reddick had a long career with many memorable roles to his name, including Johnny Basil in Oz, Cedric Daniels in The Wire, Phillip Broyles in Fringe, and Charon in the John Wick movies. Upon his death, many of Reddick’s colleagues offered their condolences and remembrances.
Consummate professional, devoted collaborator, lovely and gentle man, loyal friend. Could go on, but no, I can't go on. This is gutting. And way, way, way too soon. https://t.co/ACflsf29T3
— David Simon (@AoDespair) March 17, 2023
No! I loved working on Fringe with him. Gracious, thoughtful & wickedly funny. Later, we tried 2 get an indie Othello off the ground. Every actor has a graveyard of regrets, populated by projects you can’t let go of. That’s 1 of mine. He’d‘ve been magnificent. Ad Astra my friend. https://t.co/N6qLPpVEtj
— Jared Harris🎭 (@JaredHarris) March 17, 2023
Lance Reddick was an incredibly nice guy, and an incredibly talented actor. This is heartbreaking. My love goes out to all his family, friends, and collaborators.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) March 17, 2023
Reddick will return as Continental concierge Charon in John Wick: Chapter 4, which comes out this weekend. Over the course of three films, Reddick has taken what is a pretty small role and made himself a vital part of the series. Watching Chapter 4 will definitely be a bittersweet experience.
Keanu Reeves, John Wick himself, and director Chad Stahelski made a statement about Reddick’s passing to Deadline:
"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. 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."
Will the John Wick movies continue without Lance Reddick?
The John Wick series kicked off with the first movie in 2014 and has only grown more popular with each passing installment. The fourth movie will probably be the biggest success yet.
But what about beyond that? Stahelski mulled the possibility of Chapter 5 while talking to The Hollywood Reporter:
"In our minds, Keanu and I are done for the moment. We’re going to give John Wick a rest. I’m sure the studio has a plan. If everyone loves it and it goes kooky, then we’ll take a quiet minute. Wicks always, for some weird reason, always get the latest release date in Japan. It’s always like, three months later. If it’s the same this time, we’ll do a Japanese tour and release the movie in September. Keanu and I will take the long trip to Tokyo, we’ll sit in the Imperial Hotel Scotch Bar and go, “What do you think?” We’ll have a couple 20-year-old whiskies and write some ideas on napkins. If those ideas stick, maybe we’ll make a movie."
So it sounds like Stahelski and Reeves were unsure about making a fifth movie to start with. With Reddick’s passing, a continuation seems even more in doubt, but we’ll have to wait to be sure.
In the meanwhile, if the fourth John Wick movie is anything like the first three, it will be amazing, thanks in part to the always-reliable Reddick. He will be missed.
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