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Actor Lance Reddick, who has died at age 60, had Rochester connections

Lance Reddick, longtime character actor, died Friday at the age of 60. He is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and spoke at the University of Rochester commencement in May 2022.
J. Adam Fenster
/
University of Rochester
Lance Reddick, longtime character actor, died Friday at the age of 60. He is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and spoke at the University of Rochester commencement in May 2022.

Lance Reddick, a character actor who specialized in intense, icy and possibly sinister authority figures on TV and film, including “The Wire,” "Fringe” and the "John Wick” franchise, has died. He was 60.

Reddick died “suddenly” Friday morning, his publicist Mia Hansen said in a statement, attributing his death to natural causes.

Reddick had connections to Rochester, and in fact was here in 2022. He was the commencement speaker last May at the University of Rochester.

Reddick is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, where he studied composition in the 1980s and also put out an album in 2011 called “Contemplations and Remembrances.”

According to an article on the university’s website last year, Reddick said at the commencement ceremonies that, “I never wanted to be an actor when I was growing up. I wanted to be a musician. But that just goes to show you that you never know where your experiences in your life will lead you.”

Reddick received the Centennial Award from the Eastman School of Music. That award was created to recognize 100 individuals who exemplify Eastman’s mission and legacy through their commitment to artistry, scholarship, leadership, community engagement, and/or philanthropy.

On Facebook, the Eastman School of Music said that
"Our hearts and condolences are with his family and many fans," and the University of Rochester expressed condolences on Twitter.

Reddick’s acting credits include The Wire, Fringe, Bosch, Oz, Lost (TV); the John Wick movie series; the video games Quantum Break, Horizon Zero Dawn, Horizon Forbidden West, Destiny.

This story includes reporting by the Associated Press.

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Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.