Third Time's The Charm

LANCE REDDICK RETURNS TO THE BIG SCREEN IN THE SMASH JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 – PARABELLUM, AND HE’S DEMANDING MORE FROM THE INDUSTRY HE LOVES. YOUR MOVE, HOLLYWOOD.

- Jessica Bennett

EBONY: Your character in John Wick: Chapter 3, Charon, is the concierge at the Continental Hotel, an establishment that functions as neutral territory for hired killers. Did you approach the character differently this time around than you did in the first two installments?

LANCE REDDICK: In terms of the character, I don’t know if I approached it any differently, but from the start, I was inspired by Hector [Elizondo’s] character in Pretty Woman as the hotel manager. There was a personability, but at the same time a professionalism. The other thing was, because of the nature of the hotel, it was important to convey that Charon, when it comes down to it, can pull a shotgun out from underneath the desk. He’s that kind of guy.

EBONY: If you don’t mind me taking it back a bit, what drew you to the John Wick franchise initially?

REDDICK: The script was what drew me in; the characters are so fascinating. It’s a star-driven piece and also a story-driven piece, so it’s really an action-driven piece. There were just so many great characters in this, not just Charon, but throughout the entire film that were incredibly well-written.

EBONY: Can you tell me a bit about your journey from Baltimore to New York City’s theater scene?