Lance Reddick, star of The Wire, has passed away

It was a “smile,” as he likes to say himself. But American actor Lance Reddick, also known for his role as an enthusiastic and unsmiling cop in the series “The Wire,” died on Friday at the age of 60, his agent said. The actor, best known for his role in the action films “John Wick” with Keanu Reeves, was found dead in his Los Angeles home in the Studio City neighborhood, according to the specialized TMZ website.

Mr. Riddick died “this morning” and the cause of his death was “natural”, his agent, Mia Hansen, explained to AFP. “We will miss Lance very much,” she added. The actor made a name for himself in Hollywood in the year 2000, thanks to the HBO series ‘Oz’. He played the role of a hacked detective in prison to fight drug trafficking, which quickly sinks into addiction.

But it was with “The Wire” that really broke through. Often described as one of the best TV series of all time, it follows the police’s anti-drug squad’s fight against gangs in Baltimore City. Lance Reddick played Lieutenant Cedric Daniels, a conscientious officer and a bit of an idealist.

“The Wire” was made famous by many of its stars, including Idris Elba and Michael Kenneth Williams, who died in 2021 and was widely appreciated for his character “Omar Little,” a gay thug who enforces a strict code of conduct. Lance Reddick was married to Stephanie Reddick and had two children, according to his agent.