Lance Reddick's Family Disputes His Reported Cause of Death: "Wholly Inconsistent"
On March 17, actor Lance Reddick died at age 60, Variety confirmed. At the time, reps for Reddick did not respond to POPSUGAR's request for comment. His exact cause of death had remained unclear until April 6, when People reported, per a death certificate first obtained by TMZ, that the actor died of ischemic heart disease and atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.
Shortly after Reddick's apparent cause of death emerged, the actor's family disputed the coroner's findings. In a statement to People, an attorney representing the family denied that heart disease was the cause of Reddick's death. Reddick was "the most physically fit person I've ever known," Attorney James Hornstein told the outlet, noting that workout facilities were a "contractual requirement" for the late star. "The information appearing on the death certificate is wholly inconsistent with his lifestyle," the attorney's statement continued. "On behalf of [Lance's wife] Stephanie Reddick, the death certificate information is not corroborated and is inconsistent with the facts known to the family." Hornstein did not immediately respond to POPSUGAR's request for comment.
Reddick was born in Baltimore. As a teenager, he was more interested in music and even majored in music composition at the University of Rochester. He later attended the Yale School of Drama and graduated with his MFA in 1994.
Reddick's first major TV role was in HBO's "Oz," which he joined in 2000. His credits also include numerous appearances on shows in the "Law & Order" franchise. He later joined the main cast of "The Wire," which premiered on HBO in 2002, and appeared in all five seasons as Cedric Daniels. On "Lost," he appeared in four episodes as Matthew Abaddon, and in 2008, he played Phillip Broyles on "Fringe;" Broyles was a Homeland Security Special Agent and head of the Fringe division. In 2014, he joined another cop series, Prime Video's "Bosch," and in 2022, he took on the role of iconic "Resident Evil" villain Albert Wesker for the show's Netflix series. He also signed on to the upcoming "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series from Disney+ to play Zeus.
Reddick also starred in the "John Wick" series. He appeared in the film "John Wick: Chapter 4" in late March, and will also reprise his role in the upcoming spin-off "Ballerina," starring Ana de Armas. On March 17, "John Wick" star Keanu Reeves and the fourth "John Wick" film's director Chad Stahelski shared a joint statement about the actor's passing with The Hollywood Reporter.
"We are deeply saddened and heartbroken at the loss of our beloved friend and colleague Lance Reddick," they said. "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."
Reddick is survived by his wife, Stephanie Reddick, whom he married in 2011. The couple had many dogs, whom he loved showing off on Instagram. The late actor is also survived by his two children, Yvonne and Christopher.
On March 18, Stephanie shared an emotional tribute to her husband via his social media accounts. "Lance was taken from us far too soon. Thank you for all your overwhelming love, support and beautiful stories shared on these platforms over the last day. I see your messages and can't begin to express how grateful I am to have them," she captioned a photo of the actor on Instagram.
Read on to see how Reddick's costars from "John Wick," "The Wire," "Fringe," and "Lost" have paid tribute to the late actor.
Stephanie Reddick
On March 18, Stephanie shared a moving tribute to her husband across his social media accounts. "Lance was taken from us far too soon," she wrote. "Thank you for all your overwhelming love, support and beautiful stories shared on these platforms over the last day. I see your messages and can't begin to express how grateful I am to have them."
Her tribute continued, "And to the thousands of Destiny players who played in special tribute to Lance, thank you. Lance loved you as much as he loved the game. Donations may be made to momcares.org in Baltimore, his hometown."
Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski
On March 17, Reeves and "John Wick: Chapter 4" director Stahelski issued a statement on Reddick's death via THR: "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."
The two spoke to the outlet again on March 20 at the Los Angeles premiere of their new movie, with a choked-up Reeves saying, "Every time you were in his presence, he was such a special person, special artist, and he had a grace and dignity, and a passion for life and his craft. Just to be in his light and to be in his presence and get a chance to work with him, every day was special."
Meanwhile, Stahelski recalled the time he and creative partner David Leitch cast Reddick as one of the first actors in the original 2014 John Wick movie. "Lance walked in the first day in the suit, and we stood up and we were like, 'OK, take one,' and it was good; take two and he was like, 'What can I do better?' And we were like, 'Lance we really don't know what we're doing but please help us," Stahelski said. "He just mentored us through the first day of shooting with him. He was so kind, so generous, and we still joke about it today. He's always been the most collaborative, most positive guy I've ever met."
Laurence Fishburne
Fishburne, who starred with Reddick in the last three John Wick movies, got emotional at the "John Wick: Chapter 4" premiere in Los Angeles on March 20, telling The Hollywood Reporter that his late costar was "the heart of these movies in many ways." "We lost our brother," he added. "But we made a beautiful movie, it's the best of all of them, and I think people are going to love it and that's what it's about, right? He wouldn't want us to not do this."
Ruby Rose
Following news of Reddick's death, Rose, who starred with the late actor in the second John Wick film, mourned him on Instagram with a photo of the two and Reeves, captioned, "No. No. No. I missed this news. This is devastating. We have lost a special soul. I'm sorry Lance, my heart goes out to his family, and to Keanu, the beautiful Keanu who loves his people so deeply. Heartbreaking. - I'm speechless."
Wendell Pierce
Reddick's "The Wire" co-star paid tribute to him in a March 17 tweet. "A man of great strength and grace," he tweeted. "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"
Isiah Whitlock Jr.
Whitlock, another star of "The Wire," tweeted, "Shocked and saddened by the news that Lance Reddick has passed away. Truly heartbreaking. R.I.P. My friend. You will be missed. God speed.😥"
Ben Stiller
Actor and comedian Stiller tweeted, "Lance Reddick was an 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. Nothing is lost. 💙"
Jorge Garcia
"Lost" star Garcia shared a photo of himself with Reddick on the set of the ABC series "Lost" on his Instagram. "Shocked and saddened to hear about the passing of Lance Reddick. Such a great actor and a truly beautiful human being. Rest in peace," he captioned his post.
James Gunn
"Guardians of the Galaxy" director Gunn shared a tribute to the late actor on his Twitter. "Lance Reddick was an incredibly nice guy, and an incredibly talented actor," he wrote. "This is heartbreaking. My love goes out to all his family, friends, and collaborators."
Kirk Acevedo
"F*cccckk!! Just found out Lance Reddick just passed away," Acevedo tweeted. "I've worked with Lance on OZ and then on Fringe. Too many stories and good times with Lance. You'll be terribly missed. Jesus he was taken way too soon.🤦🏻♂️ Rest easy my friend🙏🏼🙏🏼❤️."
In a second tweet, he shared that the last time he and Reddick spoke was when their "Oz" co-star Granville Adams died. "Last time I spoke with Lance was when one of our OZ brothers Granville Adams died. Can't make this up," he wrote. "This is truly sad. We keep losing good people! I'm speechless. Rest in peace Lance Reddick."
Kurtwood Smith
"So sorry to hear of the passing of Lance Reddick. A wonderful actor and such as decent man! Way too young to go!" the "That '90s Show" star tweeted.
Stephen King
"Halfway through re-watching THE WIRE comes the news that Lance Reddick has died at the horribly unfair age of 60. Wonderful actor; wonderful man. This is sad news," King tweeted.
Questlove
Questlove tweeted simply, "I can't take it no more. rip Lance Reddick."
Jared Harris
Harris, who worked with Reddick on "Fringe," tweeted, "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."
Patton Oswalt
"Unacceptable," Oswalt tweeted. "Death, I want your badge and scythe on my desk at 9am tomorrow."
Vernon Reid
"Lance Reddick is an ARROW in the ♥️. Gravitas. Bearing. Intelligence. Nobility. Purpose. Lance Reddick RADIATED those qualities with a single unbroken look. He lit up EVERY ROLE HE WAS IN. Incredible riveting presence. 😔Rest In Power on your way to the Fringe, Sir!" Reid tweeted.
Viola Davis
"Shocked!! Speechless!! This talented, kind, intelligent King is gone!!" Davis posted on Instagram. "I was blessed to have worked with you and blessed to have known you. Praying for comfort for your family and loved ones! Rest well Lance Reddick.....see you on the other side 💔🕊🙏🏿"
Jeri Ryan
The "Bosch" and "Star Trek: Picard" actor shared a photo of herself and Reddick with their fellow "Star Trek" cast members on Instagram. "I am absolutely gutted. 💔 What a beautiful, sweet soul and such an incredible actor. Sending so much love to his wife, Stephanie, and his kids," she wrote.
David Simon
"The Wire" creator tweeted, "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."
Ian McShane
"Total shock and disbelief. Lance was a wonderful human being and a wonderful colleague. My deepest condolences, peace and love to his wife, Stephanie, and all his family," McShane told THR.
Titus Welliver
On March 18, the "Bosch" star tweeted, "The passing of @lancereddick leaves a void never to be filled. An artist and personification of kindness and grace. He was not my friend, he was my brother for 26 years and I am forever grateful A new star in our night sky, look to it with a full heart. I love you brother."
Jeffrey Dean Morgan
"Ahhh… damn it. a big loss. @lancereddick Rest in peace my man. An amazing actor, and an even more amazing dude. Condolences and love to his family and all that knew him," Morgan wrote on Twitter.
Rick Riordan
One of Reddick's final projects was Disney+'s upcoming adaptation of Riordan's "Percy Jackson and the Olympians." The "Fringe" star plays Zeus on the show, and on March 18, Riordan penned a lengthy tribute to the actor on his blog.
"We are devastated to hear of the untimely passing of Lance Reddick, our Zeus in season one of Percy Jackson and the Olympians," he wrote. "I've been in shock since yesterday, trying to understand how such a vibrant, kind and talented man could be so quickly taken from the world."
Riordan continued, "I met Lance on set just a few months ago, and he could not have been more wonderful and welcoming. His gravitas and regal bearing made him perfect for the king of the gods, but from what I could tell, in person he was nothing like the blustery and distant sky god. He had a marvelous and quirky sense of humor. He was thoughtful, caring and piercingly perceptive. He was a multi-faceted artist who elevated every part he played from Cedric Daniels in The Wire to Charon in John Wick to Zeus in our own show."
The author went on to praise Reddick's musical talents before praising his performance in the upcoming series. "As a fan, I will miss him terribly. As the creator of Percy Jackson, I will never see Zeus the same way again, and I feel so fortunate that our paths crossed, if only briefly."
He concluded, "It will be difficult working on those scenes in which Lance appears — not just because we mourn him, but because they will remind us of how much brilliance we have lost. At least it's comforting to know that we'll be able to share that performance with Lance's millions of fans, and we will get to see his artistry in action one more time. As for me, I have trouble believing such a force of nature could ever really be gone. I will choose to think that maybe Mount Olympus simply had need of their king. Godspeed, Mr. Reddick, and thank you."
Marg Helgenberger
"I'm so saddened to hear that the incredible actor Lance Reddick has passed," Helgenberger tweeted. "I LOVED working with Lance on the series Intelligence. Such a powerful & honest actor, & lovely human. A huge loss in the acting community. My thoughts are with his family."
Jeffrey Wright
"Lance's first gig after Yale was as an understudy on broadway in Angels in America. I remember him as a super gracious and kind man. Wow. RIP," the "Westworld" actor tweeted.
Deirdre Lovejoy
Lovejoy, who played Reddick's love interest on "The Wire," shared her tribute on Instagram. "My heart is heavy with the shocking news of Lance Reddick's passing," she wrote. "He was grace, elegance, and kindness personified. Wildly talented, quietly passionate and always a gentleman. I treasure our years on The Wire together and I love you Lance. Rest peacefully."
Erika Ishii
Video game voice actor Ishii tweeted, "Lance Reddick played my mentor in my first big game. Although we never met in person, it was an honor to play off him across time and studio space. His stellar performances and his joy in being part of the Destiny community will continue to inspire. Thank you, Commander."
Iain Armitage
The "Young Sheldon" star tweeted, "Im so sad to hear of the death of @lancereddick - we only worked on 1 episode, but I enjoyed it so much. I will remember his silly dogs and how much he loved his family, as well as how much fun we had together. Sending condolences to those who loved him."
In a follow-up tweet he added, "If it's true that we are all just walking each other home, I'm glad I got to walk a little ways with @lancereddick - grateful he touched my life."
J. August Richards
Richards shared his tribute on Instagram, writing, "@thereallancereddick was kind enough to do a reading for me a few years ago. He opened his mouth to say the lines and the script was immediately elevated with his instant authority and captivating presence. I had the immense pleasure of talking shop with him from time to time and will never forget his warmth, his intelligence and great sense of humor. #RestInPower my brotha… 🙏🏾❤️"
Shawn Ashmore
"Oh no! I just saw that Lance Reddick has passed away. I was lucky enough to get to work and know him while making quantum break. Talented, kind, funny and very cool. Rest in peace," "The Rookie" actor tweeted.
Halle Berry
Berry, who costarred with Reddick in the third and fourth "John Wick" films, shared a tribute to the actor on March 18. "I send my heartfelt condolences to the family and all those who knew and loved Lance. I'll never forget the huge smile and heartfelt hug Lance gave me as I walked on the set of John Wick for the first time. His kind, sweet energy lit up every room he was in and his heart was larger than anything in it! Heaven has another angel. You will be missed sweet friend!" she wrote on Instagram.
Idris Elba
Per Today, Elba shared two video tributes to his "The Wire" costar on his Instagram Stories. "Lance really was the guy," Elba said. "I love him, and I miss him... I don't give a f*ck what anyone has to say, he killed that role as an actor. I'm f*cking crying right now, heart bleeding for my guy because he f*cking went in for us."
He continued, "Rest in peace. To your family, and everyone who knows what you did for us in the community. Lance, I love you pal. I know your soul is going up. Nothing but love. Watch over us, my guy."
Piper Perabo
"Lance Reddick was a gentleman and an artist, his passing is heartbreaking," the "Angel Has Fallen" actor tweeted on March 18.
Josh Holloway
Holloway shared a photo of himself and Reddick during their "Lost" days on his Instagram. "It was an honor to know you," he captioned the pic.
Garret Dillahunt
Dillahunt paid tribute to his friend in a March 18 Instagram post. "No, man. Just saw you a minute ago!" he wrote. "It's my turn to buy dinner. We have comic books to discuss. You left the sweetest, most supportive messages about SPRUNG. (You always took joy in others' triumphs. You never tore down. You always built up). You will be missed, Lance. So very much."
Seth Gabel
"Just learned that @thereallancereddick passed away," the "Fringe" star tweeted. "He was a kind and brilliant man with a new book in his hand every day. Rest in peace my friend. It was an honor to know you and work with you."
Derek Kolstad
At the "John Wick: Chapter 4" premiere in Los Angeles on March 20, Kolstad honored Reddick and tearfully told Variety, "One of the greatest things about Lance is we became friends after the first film. It'd been about a decade. 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."
Hiroyuki Sanada
On March 20, at the "John Wick: Chapter 4" premiere in Los Angeles, Sanada, who doesn't share any scenes with Reddick in the new movie, told Variety he was a huge fan of the late actor's work in the previous John Wick films. "His role was considered one of my favorite characters," he said of his costar. "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."