Lance Reddick’s final role is in the Percy Jackson series: “He brought his power to Zeus”
Producer Dan Shotz paid tribute to the actor, who died prematurely in early 2023.
The disappearance of Lance Reddick last March, at only 60 years old, was a shock for all fans of The Wire, but not only. His final appearance is in the Disney+ series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, no less than in the role of Zeus. He had in fact filmed a few scenes with Walker Scobell, Aryan Simhadri and Leah Sava Jeffries, the young actors chosen for the main roles in this new adaptation of Rick Riordan’s best-sellers.
Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne pay tribute to Lance Reddick at John Wick 4 premiere
Dan Shotz, one of the producers of the show which has just arrived on the streaming platform, paid tribute to the actor with Screen Rant.
“We had an incredible experience with him, he remembers. We miss him greatly, and I think the thing that struck me the most was his connection with young people. By arriving in the role of Zeus, he of course intimidated them. Not only because it was Lance Riddick, but also because we had been building pressure throughout the first season on his arrival. So finally seeing it, so powerful…
Obviously, it was Lance who brought this power. As well as his whole soul in this role. The connection between them was immediate. I love the way he arrives and cares for the young people in this scene. You can see right away what an incredible actor he was. And the perfect partner for these kiddos.
Even though he only filmed for a few days, he felt connected to this series. I personally stayed in touch with him long after filming. We spoke two days before his death, he was proud to have participated in this show, I am so honored that one of his last flagship roles was that of Zeus. It’s incredible.”
Upon learning of his death last spring, the author of the novels, Rick Riordan, immediately paid tribute to him on his official website.
“We were devastated to learn of the untimely passing of Lance Reddick, our Zeus in the first season of Percy Jackson, he said. Since then, I have been in shock, I cannot understand how such a talented, vibrant and kind man could have left this world so soon.
I only met Lance a few months ago, on set, and he couldn’t have been more wonderful and welcoming. His seriousness and his appearance made him ideal for this role of the King of the Gods, but I can tell you that in person, he had none of this distant being who blows hot and cold over humanity. He had a quirky sense of humor. He took care of others. He was a multi-faceted artist who always elevated his roles, whether it was that of Cedric Daniels in The Wire or Charon in the John Wickas well as for Zeus in our show.
It will be difficult to work on the scenes in which Lance appears, and not only because we are in the middle of mourning, but above all because we will be aware of all the beauty we have lost. At least it’s comforting to know that we’ll be able to share his performance with millions of fans, and see his art in action one last time. Personally, I will always find it hard to believe that such a force of nature is extinct. I prefer to think that Mount Olympus needed its lord. Goodbye Mr. Reddick. And thanks for everything.”
Is Disney Plus’ new Percy Jackson better than the movie? (critical)
