Lance Reddick Reported Cause of Death Disputed by His Lawyer

A cause of death has been reported for Lance Reddick, who died suddenly on March 17 at the age of 60.

The actor, who starred in shows such as The Wire and Fringe, passed away from ischemic heart disease as well as atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, according to a death certificate obtained by TMZ.

UPDATE (10 pm ET): Reddick’s cause of death, as listed on his death certificate, is in dispute, after his longtime attorney said in a statement to EW.com that “No autopsy was performed” and the information listed on the death certificate is “wholly inconsistent” with the physically fit actor’s lifestyle. “On behalf of [Lance’s wife] Stephanie Reddick, the death certificate information is not corroborated and is inconsistent with the facts known to the family,” said the lawyer.

Reddick had been doing press for the film John Wick: Chapter 4, in which he reprised his role as New York Continental hotel concierge Charon. The day before he died, he posted an Instagram video of his dogs barking in unison with the caption, “And the beat goes on…”

Reddick played numerous unforgettable characters throughout his lengthy career, including Johnny Basil on Oz (2000–2001), Cedric Daniels on The Wire (2002–2008), Phillip Broyles on Fringe (2008–2013) and Deputy Chief Irvin Irving on Bosch (2014–2021).

Most recently, he played Albert Wesker in Netflix’s Resident Evil and lent his voice as Thordak in the Prime Video animated series The Legend of Vox Machina.

Reddick also was cast as the Greek god Zeus in the upcoming Disney+ live-action series Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Following Reddick’s death, many paid tribute. The Wire creator Davis Simon called him a “consummate professional, a devoted collaborator, a lovely soul and a friend,” while Wendell Pierce, who portrayed Detective William “Bunk” Moreland on The Wire, remembered Reddick as “a man of great strength and grace.”