Lance Reddick, 'The Wire' and 'John Wick' star, has died at 60

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. Reddick died unexpectedly on Friday morning "from natural causes," according to Hansen. She remarked that Lance will 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 seriousness and passion.

He previously revealed to The Guardian that he had wanted to be a musician when he was a young man growing up in Baltimore. He stumbled into acting to help support his young family and create the groundwork for a music career.

He started his career in regional theatre before applying to Yale University at the age of 29 and being admitted. He finally earned a degree in drama there.

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 wasn't chosen for that project, but he did get his first regular part on HBO's "Oz," where he played 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 tonne of praise from reviewers and professionals in the field.

Reddick told the Guardian, "I expected it to be a smash, but I didn't expect it to take so long to catch on, or that it would become such a phenomenon.

Or that the industry would treat it with such disregard. I was very shocked by it because I and we all knew how amazing we were.

Wendall Pierce, who played Reddick on "Wire," described him as a "guy of enormous strength and elegance" in a tribute on Friday.

"He was a musician as well as an actor," Pierce wrote. "The ultimate of style. For our creative family, it was a sudden, unexpected, acute, and heartbreaking loss. Unimaginable agony for his own family and loved ones. Good luck, my friend. You left your imprint here."

After "The Wire," Reddick had a noteworthy part on "Lost," as well as regular roles on Fox's sci-fi series "Fringe," Amazon's "Bosch," and, most recently, Netflix's "Resident Evil" remake.

In 2019, Reddick informed the Los Angeles Times that his "Lost" character was planned to become a series regular, but that plans altered when he landed a regular role on "Fringe." Even his brief stint on one of television's top series at the time, he claims, introduced him to a new type of celebrity.

"It was the first time supporters acted strangely. I was in New York at the time, and it felt like everyone wanted to speak about 'Lost.' "I went from having minor, niche renown to being instantly identifiable," he explained.

In addition to the "John Wick" flicks, his supporting work in movies included "One Night in Miami," "Godzilla vs. Kong," and the forthcoming remake "White Guys Can't Jump."

Despite his usual seriousness, Reddick also demonstrated a lighter side by appearing as a guest star on the comedy "Young Sheldon" and the sketch programme "Key and Peele."

Reddick also provided the voice of Commander Zavala in Bungie's Destiny and Destiny 2 video games, with the latter receiving a new update in late February. He was one of the game's few voice performers, providing the voice of Destiny's vanguard since 2014.

The fourth "John Wick" picture, starring Reddick, will be released in theatres next weekend.

"We are very grieved and heartbroken by this news."

"We are extremely devastated and grieved by the death of our cherished friend and colleague Lance Reddick," director Chad Stahelski and Reddick's co-star Keanu Reeves wrote in a joint statement to Deadline. "He was an absolute professional and a pleasure to deal with. His wife, Stephanie, his children, family, and friends are in our thoughts and prayers. We dedicate this film to his cherished memory. We shall all miss him terribly."

His wife, Stephanie, and children, Yvonne Nicole Reddick and Christopher Reddick, survive him.

According to his spokesperson, donations in his memory can be directed to momcares.org in Baltimore.