Why Irvin Irving From Bosch Looks So Familiar
Over the course of the past decade or so, Amazon Studios has produced some of the most original and wildly entertaining series in the whole of the streaming realm. While titles like "Fleabag," "The Boys," and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" tend to get the lion's share of coverage, most fans of the streamer's long-running procedural "Bosch" would argue it deserves a lot more love than it tends to get. With six seasons under its belt, and a seventh set to make waves on Amazon Prime Video, it's also the streamer's longest tenured series to date.
Of course, season 7 of "Bosch" will officially be its last, and will presumably tie off some of the narrative threads left loose throughout its previous seasons. The series is understandably centered around the titular detective, portrayed with stoic grit by the brilliant and perpetually underrated Titus Welliver. As "Bosch" fans would be quick to tell you, the series is soundly anchored by his hard-nosed portrayal of the oft-troubled detective. But they'd also tell you his work is bolstered mightily by the yeoman's work of the series' supporting cast, particularly that of Bosch's boss, Chief of Police Irvin Irving ... who no doubt looks more than a little bit familiar to you. Here's where you've seen Irvin Irving from "Bosch" before.
Lance Reddick earned raves in one of the best-loved TV series in history
Some actors have what's commonly referred to as "cop face." And yes, the actor who portrays Irvin Irving in "Bosch" is one of them. His name is Lance Reddick, by the way, and he's indeed played his fair share of cops, agents and military big wigs during his now decades-long career. But it's safe to say most viewers remember him from his work on HBO's beloved crime drama "The Wire," where he portrayed the Baltimore P.D. heavy Cedric Daniels, the man who ran point on most of the department's major investigations over the procedural's lauded five-season run.
As such, Reddick was one of the series' major players, appearing alongside an all-star cast of up-and-comers including Wendell Pierce, Dominic West, Seth Gilliam, Amy Ryan, and Idris Elba to name a few. Reddick was widely regarded as one of the standout performers on "The Wire" as well, with the series itself being hailed by many as one of the most perfect TV shows ever made even more than a decade after it ended. If you've seen "The Wire," you know it's all but impossible to argue that point.
Reddick played a steadfast FBI agent who knew too much on Fringe
With one of the most beloved television series in history to his credit, some might argue that Lance Reddick can also claim one of the most egregiously overlooked as well. That series was Fox's J.J. Abrams-produced sci-fi procedural saga, "Fringe." It detailed the far out adventures of a crack FBI unit tasked with running down some of the agency's more bizarre cases, which tended to involve, in no small capacity, so-called "fringe sciences."
"Fringe" debuted to much fanfare on Fox in the fall of 2008. Though its ratings never really lived up to that hype, the series was seen by many as one of the most adventurous programs on the air over its five-season run. During that period, "Fringe" also developed a small but intensely devoted fandom who have kept its cult-hit status very much alive in the years since it left the airwaves. While those fans continue to praise the work of central players Anna Torv, John Noble, and Joshua Jackson, they're just as quick to praise Reddick's steadfast presence as Fringe Division's big boss Phillip Broyles, which easily ranks among the actor's best performances to date.
John Wick saw Reddick playing the best damn hotel manager in the world
While Lance Reddick has kept himself active on the small screen (see also his work on "Oz," "Lost," and "American Horror Story"), he's been just as busy with big screen roles, delivering scene-stealing turns in the likes of "White House Down," "The Guest," and "One Night in Miami." Even so, most moviegoers no doubt recognize Reddick from his standout turn opposite Keanu Reeves in the action-packed "John Wick" franchise.
That is indeed Reddick portraying the Continental Hotel concierge Charon in all three of the action-packed "John Wick" films. And while Charon was more or less relegated to passive observer status over the course of the franchise's first two films, he was still one of the more pleasant additions to the "John Wick" rogues gallery, bringing a cool, calm, collected vibe to the perpetual madness. Likewise, franchise fans were no doubt elated to see Charon taking up arms and kicking some serious ass beside Mr. Wick in defense of his beloved hotel in the series' third chapter, "Parabellum." Needless to say, it'll be interesting to see where Charon goes in the upcoming "John Wick: Chapter 4" after appearing to side with the duplicitous Winston (Ian McShane) in the shocking final moments of that film.