Keanu Reeveswas the recipient of the inaugural Lance Reddick Legacy Awardat the 51st Saturn Awards. This award, dedicated to the memory ofLance Reddick, recognizes the significant contributions Reeves has made to genre filmmaking throughout his illustrious career and was awarded to him by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films. Speaking at this weekend’s ceremony, a visibly touched Reeves took thetime to praise the late Reddick, who passed away just days before the release ofJohn Wick: Chapter 4.
Reddick played the character Charon, the concierge at the Continental Hotel in New York City. Charon is a highly efficient and professional individual who assists John Wick and other guests of the Continental, providing them with various services while maintaining the hotel’s strict neutrality rules for assassins. He consistently bends the rules to accommodate Wick, ensuring the audience maintains a sympathetic eye towards the character, and it was this particular trait that led Reeves to declare his own belief thatReddick was responsible for the popularity of Wick in the first place,as he said in his speech at the awards.
Reeves revealed he had handwritten a letter to Reddick expressing his thanks for his performance, andcredited that affectionate display on-screenas a lasting factor in ensuring the series, and the character, would continue to live long in the memory of those who saw the films.
What Did Keanu Reeves Say About Lance Reddick at the Saturn Awards?
During his speech Reeves said:
“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.”
“He had such a passion and a fire for creativity, and for his craft, and for art,” Reeves concluded. “I had the chance to work with him on four filmsover the course of eight years.Over that time, we got to know each other better. But also, he had such a grace and he was funny."
TheJohn Wickfilms are available to stream on Peacock.
John Wick: Chapter 4
With the price on his head ever increasing, legendary hit man John Wick takes his fight against the High Table global as he seeks out the most powerful players in the underworld, from New York to Paris to Japan to Berlin.
Watch on Peacock
