Some actors are remembered for their looks. Some are remembered for their on-screen charisma. Some, like Lance Reddick, are remembered for their unmistakably iconic voices. But Reddick will be remembered for far more than just his voice: from the passion he poured into every role to the love he constantly showed to the communities he was a part of, Reddick brought joy to the lives of everyone he touched.
While most known to the mainstream for his part in The Wire, Reddick continued to appear in major productions until the time of his death, and was even doing a press tour for the new John Wick movie at the time of his death, a press tour that later went on to serve as a wake as the other actors on the tour mourned the loss of their co-star.
Co-stars are not the only ones mourning; the love for Reddick cannot be understated as countless people and companies that worked with the late star have taken the opportunity to honor him with public statements, and fans on the broad level have found their own ways to remember a great man taken too soon.
Lance Reddick and the Destiny Community
People are always told not to meet their heroes as, often times, they turn out to be worse than expected. Actors that you hope are kind are too often the opposite, cold, uncaring, too busy for everyone that wants to meet them. Every once in a while, however, there will be a kind celebrity that in some small way redeems fame in the public eye. Reddick was once such celebrity. Any community he chose to be a part of was a community he would engage with until the end.
The game Destiny began with a rocky start, narratively speaking, and as such many voice actors would come and go from the franchise as time went on. Not only would characters be cut, but in some cases, scheduling or budget constraints would lead to an existing character being completely rerecorded and replaced for the sake of consistency. Reddick’s character was one of the few that remained voiced by the same actor in the decade since the game first launched. To many, his voice and character’s face were synonymous with Destiny, just as much as, if not more-so than, any logo; he was as much a main character as their own.
His love for the Destiny community went beyond commitment to his role for a decade, as Reddick was an avid player himself, and was even playing Destiny the night before he died. Players all over the world have found various ways of honoring Reddick, including wearing cosmetics related to his character, and kneeling or saluting his character in game.
Destiny: A Legacy, Continued
The developers of Destiny have issued multiple statements honoring Reddick and discussing the future of his character, as his character is a major part of the narrative that continues to unfold. They made a statement shortly after the news broke, per Game Rant, and later reiterated similar sentiments in their weekly blog post, as well as sending an in-game message to players honoring Reddick’s passing.
Although unplanned, the story of the game during the week following his death featured imagery of his own character over a coffin, mourning the loss of a close friend, in a moment that surely impacted players in a way it never otherwise could have. The developers have also confirmed that Reddick’s character will continue to feature as the narrative unfolds, although it is unclear as to how far out in advance they recorded his lines and therefore how long players can look forward to continuing to hear his voice.
By the nature of being a online-based community, the Destiny community is constantly divided because everyone is passionate about the game in a unique way. Just recently the game was wracked be turmoil over the underperformance of it’s the most recent expansion, and the negativity and toxicity of the community was rampant. Yet with Lance Reddick’s passing, the community has united in the honoring of such a great loss. Everyone knows how aggressive and insensitive the internet can be, but all of that was put aside in the name of recognizing the life of someone who helped make the game what it is today, as everyone, even the worst of instigators, can recognize the respect Reddick earned in his life.
Lance Reddick's Major Roles
Not all of Reddick’s roles are as well known as those that are ongoing. While many know him from the wire, Lance has popped up in everything from Duck Tales to Resident Evil, and he always stole the show. Netflix’s recent attempt at a Resident Evil show consistently reviewed poorly, and yet Reddick was always praised as a highlight, bringing much needed character to a show devoid of life.
He also played a major role in the Horizon series of games as the only other major character the player gets to talk to for much of the game, a role that can only be successfully performed by a voice actor with a voice as universally beloved as his. If players are only given a single companion, the companion has to remain enjoyable, interesting, or intriguing to keep people engaged and Reddick effortlessly did all three. He even showed up in Godzilla Vs Kong for a few moments and is one of the most memorable human elements of that movie.
Whether we wanted it or not, the world lost a great actor, whose death will be felt for years to come. His memory is forever solidified through a decade of playable content in games and many major shows and movies he helped propel into greatness.