Actor Lance Reddick, perhaps best known for his role on “The Wire,” has died at the age of 60, a representative confirmed to KTLA.
Reddick’s body was found in Studio City about 9:30 a.m. Friday, according to TMZ. His cause of death has not been released, but foul play is not expected.
“Acclaimed actor Lance Reddick passed away suddenly this morning from natural causes … Donations in his memory can be made to momcares.org in Baltimore, his hometown,” read a statement from Reddick’s public relations team. “Lance will be greatly missed.”
The Los Angeles Police Department declined to identify Reddick, but the agency did confirm officers responded to a death investigation in the 1200 block of Sarah Street.
Reddick had a long career in TV and film, but he will most likely be remembered as Lt. Cedric Daniels on “The Wire,” one of the most critically acclaimed shows of all time.
He also appeared in the “John Wick” franchise and was set to appear as Zeus in next year’s “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” on Disney+.
Tributes poured out for Reddick online after news of his death was made public, including from his “Wire” co-stars.
“A man of great strength and grace,” said Wendell Pierce, who played Detective William “Bunk” Moreland. “As talented a musician as he was an actor. The epitome of class. An sudden unexpected sharp painful grief for our artistic family. An unimaginable suffering for his personal family and loved ones. Godspeed my friend. You made your mark here. RIP.”
HBO tweeted a photo of Reddick from “The Wire” saying he had been a part of the network’s family for over 20 years.
“He is held in the highest regard by all who knew and worked with him and we are all proud to be a part of his legacy. He will be missed dearly,” the tweet read.
Writer David Simon, who created “The Wire,” retweeted the photo calling Reddick a “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,” Simon wrote.
Others in the entertainment world also paid compliments to Reddick.
“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,” director James Gunn tweeted.
Actor, writer and director Ben Stiller also had kind words for Reddick.
“Lance Reddick was a beautiful and compelling actor. And a beautiful person. He worked with my mom Anne Meara in her play ‘Afterplay,’ playing Raziel, the waiter slash angel of death. He was exquisite in that and all he did,” he wrote on Twitter.
Author Michael Connelly, who wrote the books based on the “Bosch” Amazon Prime series that Reddick starred in, also wrote a tribute on Twitter to the late actor.
“I’m thinking about my friend Lance Reddick. More than being a key ingredient in the Bosch show, he was a wonderful person, friend and collaborator. He took a character who was paper-thin in the books and made Irvin Irving,” Connelly wrote. “Multi-dimensional, machiavellian, intriguing and even sympathetic. Loved working with him. Loved knowing him. He’s gone too soon.”
“Lance Reddick is the kind of actor that improved every single project just by being there. This loss is immeasurable. May he rest in peace,” added writer and producer BJ Colangelo.
Reddick is survived by his wife, Stephanie Reddick, and children, Yvonne Nicole Reddick and Christopher Reddick.
Michael Bartiromo and Romeo Escobar contributed to this story.
