Lance Reddick played many iconic roles in his career predominately in the TV space. While general audiences most popularly know him as Charon from the John Wick films, ardent fans of the late actor celebrated his tenure as Cedric Daniels in The Wire, Phillip Broyles in Fringe, and Chief Irvin Irving in Bosch.
The latter ran for seven seasons and Reddick’s role was highly praised by critics and audiences. However, the actor initially did not want to play another law enforcement officer again as he had already done in The Wire and Fringe. But the role ended up being a landmark in his career.
Lance Reddick Was Initially Hesitant to Play Irvin Irving in Bosch
Lance Reddick played Irvin Irving in the hit Amazon series Bosch which ran from 2014 to 2020 for 7 seasons. Reddick’s complex portrayal of Irving became a career-defining role and audiences were all in for the thrilling narrative arc that Irving goes through throughout the series. Surprisingly, Reddick was hesitant to play the role initially before signing on to the project.
He told Express.co.uk that he did not want to repeat himself playing another law enforcement officer. He claimed that he almost turned down the role. However, he went on to play Chief Irving and the rest is history. He said,
“It’s a job that I almost didn’t do, I almost turned it down. I didn’t want to play another commanding officer in law enforcement, but it ended up being one of the highlights of my career.”
Reddick made a surprising return as Irving in the final episode of the second season of Bosch: Legacy. The episode aired after his unfortunate passing and audiences were also treated with his final on-screen role as Zeus in the Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
The Creators of Bosch: Legacy Are Thankful to Lance Reddick for His Cameo
Lance Reddick returned as former Chief of Police Irvin Irving in the season 2 finale of Bosch: Legacy where he meets up with Mimi Rogers’ character Honey Chandler. Audiences were delighted with his appearance, which also made it all the more bittersweet as he passed away before the episode was aired.
The executive producer of the show Tom Bernardo revealed to TV Insider that he and the makers of the show were devastated by the news of Reddick’s passing. However, they are extremely thankful for the gift Reddick provided them through his appearance in the finale. Bernardo said,
“One of the great gifts we had was bringing [Lance] back for one more scene. We had that devastating news hit, but we still have that last moment together. We’re thankful for it.”
Reddick will always remembered for the ease and versatility with which he played many iconic roles in various acclaimed shows. His legacy will always remain intact and audiences continue to discover and celebrate his career to this day.
