The spirit of the late actor Lance Reddick was very much alive on the red carpet at the premiere of “John Wick: Chapter 4” in Los Angeles on Monday.
Reddick, who died unexpectedly on Friday at age 60, was honored by his co-stars and other attendees who tied blue ribbons to his garments to commemorate him. Lead actor Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Shamier Anderson, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rina Sawayama, Donnie Yen and director Chad Stahelski wore the ribbons on the red carpet at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
Reeves led the tributes, describing the memorable “Fringe” and “The Wire” actor as a “remarkable artist.”
“Lance was a beautiful person, a special artist (and) a man of grace and dignity (with) such passion for his craft,” he said. said deadline. “And having the opportunity to work with him over the 10 years and four movies (in the franchise) is something very special to me.
“It sucks it’s not here.”
Reddick played hotel concierge Charon in the hitman’s revenge saga, making his debut in the 2014 film and reprising the role in subsequent installments. Following the news of his death last Friday, Reeves and Stahelski dedicated the latest entry to their “beloved friend” and the “consummum professional.” (The film opens in theaters this Friday.)
In a Monday red carpet interview with PeopleReeves recalled his first meeting with the actor and an idea Reddick had for “the way he wanted the character (Charon) to talk.”
“Just his enthusiasm and passion. And the way he and I work and talk about the unspoken, that connection. It’s really cool,” said the 58-year-old star. “The connection between John Wick and Charon was special. I always told him that people liked John Wick because he he liked John Wick.
Reeves’ “Matrix” co-star Fishburne, who plays the crime lord known as the Bowery King in the “John Wick” universe, also remembered Reddick fondly.
“We love Lance. We miss Lance. I mean, he’s the heart of these movies in so many ways. We lost our brother, but we made a beautiful movie and it’s the best ever. And I think people are going to love it and that’s what it’s all about, right? At the end of the day, he wouldn’t want us not to do this,” Fishburne said. The Hollywood Reporter.
Principal Stahelski also said THR that Reddick was one of the first people he and his creative partner David Leitch cast for the original film and his wisdom guided the first-time directors.
“And we said, ‘Lance, we really don’t know what we’re doing, but please help us,’” Stahelski said. “He just walked us through the first day of shooting with him. He was so kind, so generous, and we still joke about it today. He has always been the most collaborative and positive guy I’ve ever met.”
“As a filmmaker, you look for artists that are going to be great collaborators, and he was the epitome of that,” Leitch added. “Someone who came to wholeheartedly share ideas, and I can’t say enough about him as a human being and as an artist.”
Reddick reportedly skipped a New York screening of the film last week, but in one of his last interviews he said MY! News that the latest “John Wick” movie surpasses its predecessors.
“I couldn’t believe it was bigger than the last one,” he told the outlet on March 3. “I don’t know how you can have more action and better action, but we do. Plus, the emotional stakes have been raised. I feel for the characters more than any other franchise.”
The “Bosch” actor also spoke about his work on the spin-off film “Ballerina,” which also stars Reeves, Ian McShane and Ana de Armas, as well as his upcoming roles in the “White Men” remake. Can’t Jump” and Shirley. Chisholm biopic “Shirley.” Reddick was set for several more projects before his death, including the Disney+ series adaptation of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” and a handful of projects featuring his resonant voice.
