Death of Lance Reddick: The Wire and John Wick star dies ‘suddenly’ at the age of 60

Lance Reddick, a veteran character actor known for his intense roles on the hit HBO series The cable and the John Wick Action films died on Friday, reports the Associated Press. He was 60.

Reddick died “suddenly” of natural causes, his publicist told the AP.

The Actors Cable co-star Wendell Pierce wrote on social media on Friday Reddick was “a man of great strength and grace”.

“As talented a musician as an actor,” continued Mr. Pierce. “The epitome of class. A sudden, unexpected, sharp, painful sadness for our family of artists. An unimaginable suffering for his personal family and loved ones. Thank god my friend. You’ve made a name for yourself here.”

Filmmaker James Gunn said on Twitter on Friday that Reddick is “an incredibly nice guy and an incredibly talented actor.”

“This is heartbreaking,” Mr Gunn called. “My love goes out to all his family, friends and associates.”

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Reddick attended Yale University drama school.

The actor said that despite his success, he felt his position as an actor was sometimes precarious because of his race.

“I am an artist at heart. I feel like I’m very good at what I do,” he said The Los Angeles Times in 2009. “When I went to drama school, I knew I was at least as talented as other students, but because I was a black man and not pretty, I knew I had to work my ass off to become one the best I would be and to get noticed.”

“Once I’ve watched the industry and seen what it took to get where I am,” he added, “I’m more aware of how precarious my position is. There is no queue.”

Despite his dramatic roles in shows like Lost And American Horror StoryReddick was also a game for comedy.

After his death, fans began recirculating a clip of Reddick’s 2013 performance on the late-night satirical comedy show The Eric Andre Showwhich ended with the actor theatrically banging his fist on the floor and declaring, “You need a new desk.”

This is breaking news and will be updated with new information.