Keanu Reeves penned Lance Reddick a letter before the talented actor passed, honoring his John Wick character. Initially kicking off in 2014, the John Wick franchise is led by Reeves as the titular hitman who gets drawn back into the criminal underworld after seeking to avenge the death of his beloved dog. The John Wick universe is filled out by other gifted actors like John Leguizamo, Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, and Reddick, who sadly passed away in March 2023. He played Charon, the concierge at New York City’s Continental Hotel.
Now, Reeves, who accepted the first Lance Reddick Legacy Award at the 51st Saturn Awards, revealed to People that he once wrote Reddick a letter celebrating his character’s impact on the John Wick franchise. Read his full comments below:
He had such a passion and a fire for creativity, and for his craft, and for art. I had the chance to work with him on four films over the course of eight years, and over that time, we got to know each other better. But also, he had such a grace, and he was funny. I mean, humor-wise. I don’t know. I think favorite memory… it’s the scenes that I had with him and the relationship that he and John Wick had, Charon.
I once told him… Well, actually I wrote him a letter and I said, ‘people love John Wick because Charon loves John Wick.’ Because that character loved John Wick, that made John Wick okay. And so when I got to act with him, we had such an affection.
The characters had such an affection, and offscreen, we had such an affection and just really enjoying working on the John Wick films, our characters, getting to work with Chad [Stahelski] and on that series. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime project. I think he knew that, I knew it, and we just loved working together on it.
Reddick’s Charon Was Important to the John Wick Universe
Reddick was an incredibly gifted actor whose brilliant and extensive filmography is a testament to both his reliability and versatility. During his career, Reddick played a number of iconic roles, including Cedric Daniels in HBO’s The Wire, Chief Irvin Irving in Bosch, and Phillip Broyles in Fringe. However, Charon is one of his most well-known characters.
Reddick’s portrayal of Charon was important for John Wick, as both his character and his performance made the franchise feel more grounded and believable. Early on in the film series, it was established that The Continental, the legendary safe haven for assassins which also serves as the centerpiece of the John Wick universe, functioned on a set of strict rules. Amid the franchise’s flashy action sequences and chaos, Reddick’s Charon helped provide some balance, as his character mostly enforced the Continental’s rules of business and ensured that everyone on the hotel grounds was treated with respect.
Reddick brilliantly sold Charon’s stoicism along with his complex and sometimes tender relationship with the franchise’s protagonist. Reddick will make his final appearance as Charon as part of the John Wick spinoff Ballerina‘s cast, and his role will serve as a reminder of how he helped establish one of the most successful film series in recent years.
John Wick
- Created by
- Derek Kolstad
- First Film
- John Wick
- Cast
- Keanu Reeves , Ian McShane , Lance Reddick , Willem Dafoe , Michael Nyqvist , Alfie Allen , Laurence Fishburne , Anjelica Huston , Bill Skarsgard , Mel Gibson , Donnie Yen
- TV Show(s)
- The Continental
