During the Los Angeles premiere of “John Wick: Chapter 4” on Monday night, Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski honored the late Lance Reddick, who played Charon in all four “John Wick” movies. Reddick passed away unexpectedly on Friday at the age of 60. The event was both celebratory and mournful.
“Lance is a people person, a special artist, a gentleman of grace and dignity,” Keanu said on the carpet. “It’s just really something special, every time he stepped on set, to watch the passion he had for his work. It’s really easy to work with him.”
“It’s not just one memory. It’s not just one day. It’s a collective. I had Lance in my life almost 10 years,” director Chad Stahelski told Variety. “Although that was done over the course of four films, we’ve worked together on other things. I just got to be happy and be proud of the fact that I got to spend so much time with him. We’re going to miss him.”
“His role was considered one of my favorite characters,” Sanada, one of the new additions to the franchise, shared. “I could see him at the beginning of this month during the junket. I knew he was a great actor, but I recognized how he was a kind person and a great human being. So I was shocked. I still can’t believe it. Hopefully, people can enjoy his performance in this movie and never forget him.”
Kolstad and more honor Lance
Derek Kolstad, the creator of the series became emotional during the event. “One of the greatest things about Lance is we became friends after the first film. It’d been about a decade,” he said. “He’s a great actor, but he’s a better man. He’s a kind man, a gentleman. He just wore his heart on his sleeve.”
“It’s heartbreaking. A couple days ago, we were all in Austin at SXSW and Chad called me,” Joe Drake from the Lionsgate Motion Picture said. “He had great humanity. Last year, we talked about how much he enjoyed being part of this. It’s really sad.”
Stahelski and Reeves earlier released a joint statement dedicating the upcoming film to Reddick’s “loving memory,” writing, “We are deeply saddened and heartbroken at the loss of our beloved friend and colleague Lance Reddick. He was the consummate professional and a joy to work with. Our love and prayers are with his wife Stephanie, his children, family and friends… We will miss him dearly.”
“John Wick: Chapter 4” will arrive in theaters this Friday.