Lance Reddick Dies: ‘Bosch’ and ‘The Wire’ Star Was 60

Lance Reddick, a character actor known for his roles as law enforcement leaders on The Wire and Bosch, has died. He was 60.

Reddick passed away “suddenly” of natural causes on Friday at his home in Los Angeles, a rep for the actor told the Los Angeles Times.

The Hollywood star was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on June 7, 1962.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in music at the University of Rochester and received a master’s degree in fine arts from the Yale School of Drama in 1994.

Related Story: Lance Reddick Remembered by ‘The Wire’ Stars Wendell Pierce & Isiah Whitlock Jr.

Reddick soon landed small parts on television series, including New York Undercover, Swift Justice, and The Nanny.

From 2000 to 2001 he played police Det. Johnny Basil on the HBO prison drama Oz.

In a 2011 interview, Reddick told The Associated Press that Oz made him fall in love with working in television.

“I was never interested in television. I always saw it as a means to an end. Like so many actors, I was only interested in doing theater and film. But Oz changed television,” he said. “It was the beginning of HBO’s reign on quality, edgy, artistic stuff. Stuff that harkens back to great cinema of the ’60s and ’70s.”

His breakout role came on David Simon’s critically acclaimed Baltimore crime and corruption drama The Wire.

Reddick co-starred on the series from 2002 to 2008, as Lt. Cedric Daniels, who was later promoted to major and colonel before leaving the embattled police department in disgust.

Simon paid tribute to Reddick Friday on Twitter.

“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,” the writer and TV producer tweeted.

Reddick took on recurring roles after The Wire ended, and later played Phillip Broyles on J.J. Abrams’ science fiction series Fringe for 90 episodes, from 2008 to 2013.

He then landed the part of LAPD Chief Irvin Irving on Los Angeles-based police drama Bosch. Reddick co-starred on the hit Amazon series for 68 episodes from 2014-2021, according to his IMDb page.

He also had roles in Regina King’s directorial debut One Night in Miami… and the John Wick movie franchise, including John Wick: Chapter 4, which opens on March 24.

Reddick is survived by his wife Stephanie Reddick, and children Yvonne Nicole Reddick and Christopher Reddick.