John Wick 4 director recalls Lance Reddick’s ‘contagious magic’ on set.

Actor Lance Reddick’s sudden death at the age of 60 came as a shock to his fans and friends alike. But it was particularly startling for his colleagues and crew John Wick: Chapter 4, who received the news while he was still preparing for the film’s upcoming release. In an interview with Polygon, Chad Stahelski, who directed Reddick in all four John Wick films, describes the impact of hearing the news while on tour promoting the new film.

“We’re all on the red carpet to get in [at the L.A. premiere]’ Stahelski said. “You want to give everyone a high-five and say, ‘Thank you for giving up a year of your life!'” And then we learn that Lance has died. It just crushes you.”

Asked about a particularly memorable moment on set with Reddick, Stahelski laughed. “How do you pick a moment after 10 years with a guy who has his DNA all over the franchise that you built from the ground up?” he asked. “He’s part of the heart of Wick. You walk into this hotel and you see Lance at the front desk – which is more iconic to John Wick?”

Pho to: Lionsgate

Stahelski remembers Reddick as a particularly upbeat presence on the John Wick puts. “Lance had this personality that was literally infectious,” he said. “For example, Lance could be heard laughing over a sound stage. He was just a super positive guy. I don’t know everything about Lance’s career, but I do know that he’s always had to struggle, he’s always had to really work at all ends to get where he was. I think that’s the bulk of the cast of John Wick – they all come from really humble backgrounds from We Work for a Living. And being so positive about it and so happy about doing what you love — that’s Lance in a nutshell. This guy comes on set and he’s here to work and he’s awesome. He couldn’t be happier. He’s one of the happiest guys and that’s contagious.”

As Charon, the imperturbably cool concierge at The Continental assassin hotel in the John Wick films, Reddick represented the luxury, competence and coldness of Stahelski’s world. It was a typically authoritative role for Reddick, who tended to portray powerful figures, beginning with the principled police lieutenant Cedric Daniels The cable to Commander Zavala destiny 2 to the fearsome dragon Thordak in the animated series Critical Role The Legend of Vox Machina. But Charon was one of his most visible and distinctive roles, and Stahelski says working with him on the John Wick films was an education.

“I wish you could flip the camera for half the scenes John Wick 4 and see Lance and Ian McShane chat before the shoot,” Stahelski said. “It’s magic. You just get addicted to it. You can’t help but go there and hang out. It was my first time directing [on John Wick

Photo Credit: Rob Latour/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images

Stahelski says some of that help came from Reddick’s confident choices about Charon — Reddick chose the character’s accent, personality and body language, and told Stahelski he wanted him to be “very zen” with an attitude “like the Oscar statue” play.

“I was in a unique position being mentored by the people I worked with,” Stahelski said. “If you can imagine your head going from a scene with Keanu Reeves to a scene with Lance Reddick to a scene with Ian McShane to a scene with Willem Dafoe – I mean, come on. It’s like going to film school and directing at the same time.”