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Actor Buddy Duress had died at 38.
His brother Christopher Stathis confirmed to People magazine that Buddy died in November 2023 of “cardiac arrest from a drug cocktail.”
Duress was known for his work in the Safdie brothers indie movies “Heaven Knows What” (2014) and “Good Time” (2017). The latter starred Robert Pattinson and was inspired, in part, by Buddy’s life.
Buddy spoke to SSense in 2017 about the unexpected way he got into showbiz.
The star said he spent time in Rikers Island on drug charges, but skipped out on an in-patient drug program after his release. That’s when he met Josh Safdie and was cast in “Heaven Knows What.”
Eventually, his past caught up to him, and he was arrested the day after filming wrapped. He was sent back to Rikers, missing the premiere of the film.
He told SSense, “You know, I still look back at it. If I had went to that program, I wouldn’t have been in ‘Heaven Knows What,’ and I probably wouldn’t be an actor right now. That’s the honest truth. I wouldn’t.”
The filmmakers later told The L.A. Times that once Duress returned to jail, they asked him to keep a journal of his experience, and they used his entries as material for the “Good Time” script.
Buddy played the character Ray in “Good Time,” and went on to appear in short film and feature films.
Despite his fame, Duress reportedly faced more legal trouble in the years that followed, including multiple arrests.
One of those arrests happened during filming of Cameron Van Hoy’s 2021 movie “Flinch.”
The director told People, “Buddy was pure electricity on screen. Working with him was one of the great adventures of my life. He was a kind person who loved making films. Despite any troubles he was going through in life, he somehow managed to put them aside when it came time to work. We grew quite close after the production of our film ‘Flinch.’ I’m heartbroken that his life came to an end as it did.”
Buddy also appears in the upcoming feature “Mass State Lottery.” Director Jay Karales told People, “Buddy Duress was a once-in-a-lifetime charismatic actor and a genuinely humble man that left an impression on everyone he met. I was extremely fortunate to be able to direct him and get to know him off-set during our time shooting ‘Mass State Lottery.’”
He continued, “What happened is a tragic and frustrating loss of visceral talent. He lived like a cowboy and carrying the weight of that kind of life informed his skills and performances in a way that made him irreplaceable as an actor.”
