LOS ANGELES (AP) — Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne were among the ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ stars at the film’s Los Angeles premiere, which honored Lance Reddick, her co-star who died unexpectedly last week.
“We lost our brother in a really, really shocking way. I think we’re all still in shock. “Life is,” said the visibly shaken Fishburne, pausing before continuing, “hard sometimes.”
Many of those who worked on the film wore blue ribbons to honor Reddick, who was a prolific character actor with prominent roles in The Wire, Oz, and the John Wick film series.
“Just standing in his light and getting a chance to work with him is something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life,” Reeves said. “He had such passion for his work and his craft. He was gracious. He had a dignity and a presence.”
Reddick, 60, died of natural causes in Los Angeles on Friday, his publicist Mia Hansen said. No further information was given.
Tributes have poured in for the actor, whose roles have made him a beloved and recognizable star of television and films. He played Charon, the Continental Hotel’s versatile concierge who takes a liking to Wick, an assassin played by Reeves. The latest installment hits theaters on Friday.
“He’s the goodness of this film. He was the heart of the film in a lot of ways because his character loved John Wick,” Fisburne said.
“You know, it’s always hard to lose someone you love very much. . . but you are also incredibly grateful for the time you had together. We’ve been fortunate to have worked with Lance since the early days of the John Wick franchise. I mean, it’s been almost 10 years,” director Chad Stahelski said. “I really wish he could be with us tonight but, you know, life. But we are very lucky to have known him. And he’s a great man, a great artist, a great person, a dear friend.”
Shamier Moore, a newcomer to the “Wick” franchise, recalled Reddick taking the time to say a kind word on set.
“I grew up with Lance Reddick. It’s a bittersweet moment because he was definitely one of my heroes growing up as an actor, as a black actor,” Moore said. And while we didn’t spend any screen time together in this film, we did share some off-camera time, and he was the salt of the earth when he first met me.
“He said, ‘Shamier, you are amazing. I love your work man’ and it melted me like a puddle. ”