John Wick Director Reflects on the First Time He Met Lance Reddick

By Charlie Ridgely

On March 17th, the world lost beloved actor Lance Reddick, who died suddenly in his home at the age of 60. Reddick had a career spanning decades and made an impact on film, television, and video games alike, always bringing powerful performances and uplifting his peers. The actor's death came just a week before the debut of his latest film, John Wick: Chapter 4, making him one of only three actors to appear in every single John Wick film to-date. Those involved in the John Wick franchise have had no shortage of wonderful things to say about Reddick since his passing.

Franchise director Chad Stahelski recently spoke to Looper and opened up about his experiences working alongside Lance Reddick through four John Wick films. Stahelski recalled his first time meeting Reddick, and how the veteran actor helped him grow as a first-time director.

"Lance is a beautiful human. He's a gentleman's gentleman. He is all of that," Stahleski said. "But what's much more interesting is his influence. Lance was one of the first people we ever cast on the first John Wick. He's one of the first people that we ever pitched this nutty idea to, and he got it. He's like, 'I'm all in. I'm Charon. I'm the gatekeeper. I'm on the river Styx. It's Greek.' He got it quicker than almost anybody else out there."

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"You've got to remember, no matter how many second unit gigs or fight jobs or stunt work I've done, I'm still new – a first-time director," he continued. "There's a lot of things you have to learn that you're not going to learn until you're in the seat. It's so important to get an experienced cast that you can talk to and that you can trust and that you can actually say, 'Hi Lance. I'm Chad. I'll be your director. This is my first time. I think I know what I'm doing, but probably not.' Lance and Ian McShane, every one of these cast members – they're supposed to be working for me, but they're like my mentors at the same time."

Lance Reddick is set to appear one more time as Charon, having filming an appearance for the spinoff movie Ballerina prior to his death.

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