The John Wick: Chapter 4 premiere in Los Angeles was a bittersweet occasion, as the cast and crew paid tribute to one of their own: Lance Reddick, who passed away at 60 just days before the event.
Reddick, who played the role of Charon, the manager of The Continental hotel in New York, was remembered by his co-stars, including Keanu Reeves, and the director of the film, Chad Stahelski, who shared their memories and condolences on the red carpet.
Reeves praised Reddick as a “special artist, a gentleman of grace and dignity” who had a passion for his work. “It’s just really something special, every time he stepped on set, to watch the passion he had for his work. It’s really easy to work with him,” Reeves told Variety.
Stahelski said he had known Reddick for almost 10 years and worked with him on other projects besides the John Wick franchise. “I just got to be happy and be proud of the fact that I got to spend so much time with him. We’re going to miss him,” Stahelski said.
Reddick joined the John Wick series in 2014 and appeared in all four films. His co-star Hiroyuki Sanada said he was one of his favorite characters in the movies. “I could see him at the beginning of this month during the junket. I knew he was a great actor, but I recognized how he was a kind person and a great human being. So, I was shocked. I still can’t believe it. Hopefully, people can enjoy his performance in this movie and never forget him,” Sanada said.
Derek Kolstad, who created the John Wick franchise, also spoke emotionally about Reddick on the red carpet. “One of the greatest things about Lance is we became friends after the first film. It’d been about a decade,” Kolstad said. “He’s a great actor, but he’s a better man. He’s a kind man, a gentleman. He just wore his heart on his sleeve.”
Reddick’s death was announced by his publicist Mia Hansen on Friday. She said he died of natural causes but did not give more details. Reddick was also known for his roles as Cedric Daniels on The Wire and Irvin Irving on Bosch. He is survived by his wife Stephanie Reddick and two children Yvonne Nicole and Christopher Reddick.
John Wick 4 will be released this Friday, March 24 2023.
