Keanu Reeves said his last film with his colleague and friend, John Wick 4, will be dedicated to his memory.
Actor Lance Reddick passed away at the age of 60 in his Los Angeles home in the Studio City neighborhood last Friday morning, March 17. The death, as anticipated by the website TMZ and picked up by The Hollywood Reporter, is expected to have occurred from natural causes.
Recently, the artist was promoting his new film, John Wick 4, which will arrive in Italian theaters next March 23. As in the previous chapters of the franchise, he played the mysterious Charon, concierge of New York's Continental Hotel, a den of hitmen and setting for shady deals. The protagonist, played by Keanu Reeves, often turns to him for help.
Keanu Reeves and the film's director Chad Stahelski issued a joint condolence statement,
"We are deeply saddened and heartbroken by the loss of our beloved friend and colleague. He was a consummate professional and working with him proved to be a joy. Our love and prayers go out to his wife Stephanie, children, family and friends. We will dedicate the film to his loving memory. We will miss him terribly."
He was echoed by the saga's production company, Lionsgate, which wanted to remember the actor this way,
"The world of Wick would not be what it is without Lance Reddick and the unparalleled depth he brought to Charon's humanity and his unimpeachable charisma. His is a huge legacy because of the gargantuan amount of work accomplished at a grand level, although to us he will always be our beloved and joy-filled friend and Concierge."
Lance Reddick is best known for a long list of television projects, ranging from Lost to Fringe to a starring role in the acclaimed The Wire. Ryan Murphy cast him to play Pope in the third (and then eighth) season of American Horror Story.
He was to film Ballerina with Ana de Armas and is part of the cast of the series based on the Percy Jackson and the Olympian Gods novels, but it is not yet known how the news will affect production.
The actor and musician, born in Baltimore on June 7, 1962, had been married since 2011 to Stephanie Day and has two children, Yvonne Nicole and Christopher. He made his big-screen debut with Oscar-winning Alfonso Cuaròn's Paradise Lost, and later diversified his career as a voice actor as well.
Condolence messages came from all over Hollywood. Prominent among them is one from Ian McShane:
"I am in a state of total shock and disbelief. Lance was a wonderful human being and an incredible colleague."