Lance Reddick dies: ‘The Wire’, ‘John Wick’ actor and University of Rochester graduate dies at 60

The Wire and John Wick actor Lance Reddick has died at the age of 60, his rep said Friday.

Deadline and TMZ report that Reddick died Friday of natural causes. No other details are reported.

Reddick was a Baltimore native who studied classical composition at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, earning a Bachelor of Music degree. He moved to Boston to pursue a career in music in the 1980s, but later turned to acting, earning a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Yale School of Drama in 1994.

Reddick began his on-screen career in the 90s, appearing on shows such as The Babysitter and NY Undercover, as well as films such as Great Expectations and The Siege. He landed recurring roles on two HBO series, The Corner and Oz, and appeared in several episodes of Law & Order: SVU.

He is perhaps best known for his role as Cedric Daniels on The Wire, an HBO drama considered one of the best and most influential TV shows of the past 20 years. His character appeared in all 60 episodes of five seasons of the Emmy-winning series, rising from Lieutenant to Major to Commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department.

His credits also include Fringe, The Blacklist, CSI: Miami, Lost, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Bosch, Numbers, Godzilla vs. Kong, and video games such as Destiny 2 and Horizon: Forbidden West, as well as all four John Wick films. According to Deadline, just last week he was interviewed for John Wick: Chapter Four, starring Keanu Reeves as the master assassin and Reddick as concierge at the Continental Hotel, Charon.

Reddick has also kept in touch with the University of Rochester, delivering an acceptance speech last year.

“I never wanted to be an actor when I was growing up. I wanted to be a musician,” he told the Rochester Class of 2022 during his speech. speech. “But it just shows you that you never know where your life experiences will take you.”

Reddick is survived by his wife Stephanie Reddick and two children.

Local actor Jim True-Frost, who co-starred in The Wire with Reddick and starred in an upcoming production of Our Town in Syracuse, mourned the loss.

“Lance Reddick is going home,” True-Frost wrote on Facebook. “Lance, we miss you; we were better because you were here. We won’t forget you.”