Buddy Duress, Robert Pattinson’s Co-Star in Good Times, Passes away at 38

Buddy Duress, the actor known for his role as Ray, a recently freed convict, alongside Robert Pattinson in the 2017 film "Good Time," has passed away at the age of 38. His brother, Christopher Stathis, confirmed to People magazine that Duress died from cardiac arrest induced by a drug cocktail in November 2023.

The Actor Who Lived His Roles

 

Buddy Duress, whose real name was Michael C. Stathis, was born in Queens, New York, in May 1985. Growing up was tough for him, and he battled drug addiction for most of his life. He got in trouble with the law numerous times for drug-related offenses and spent time behind bars and in rehab.

In 2013, after getting out of jail, he crossed paths with filmmaker Josh Safdie. Safdie gave him a role in his 2014 movie Heaven Knows What, which was inspired by the life story of Arielle Holmes, a homeless heroin addict who was dating Duress back then.

In the film, Duress portrayed Mike, a drug dealer who was also Holmes's abusive partner.

Despite his struggles, Duress's performance in Heaven Knows What was praised by critics for its rawness and authenticity. However, he ended up back in jail before the movie premiered because he didn't follow through with a drug treatment program. 

Reflecting on his choices later, he mentioned in an interview that he didn't regret his actions because they eventually led him to pursue an acting career.

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Breakthrough Role in Good Time

Duress worked on Good Time with Josh and Benny Safdie after getting out of jail again. In the movie, Robert Pattinson plays Connie Nikas, a bank robber who wants to get his mentally ill brother out of jail. Ray, a friend from Connie's brother's cell, gets caught up in their crazy and violent antics, and Duress plays him.

The Safdie brothers got the idea for Good Time from Duress's life and times in jail, where he kept a log that they used as a script. Many lines and scenes in Duress were made up on the spot, which added to the film's reality and intensity.

Both reviewers and audiences loved Good Time, and it did very well at the box office. At the Cannes Film Festival, it was up for the Palme d'Or and won several awards, including the Independent Spirit Award for Best Director.

According to The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, Duress's act was "a revelation" and "a force of nature."

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The Untold Story of the Actor Who Lived on the Edge

After "86'd," Duress starred in more movies like The Mountain, The Great Darkened Days, and Flinch. Aside from that, he was in short pictures and music videos. Duress was known for acting in a way that seemed natural and unplanned. He also had a knack for giving dark and gritty figures humor and humanity.

His brother says that Duress died of a heart attack caused by a mix of drugs in November 2023. His age was 38. His mother, Jo-Anne, and younger brother, Christopher, will miss him. His death wasn't made public until February 2024, when his brother told People1 that he had died.

People who knew Duress well said that he was a bright, kind person who loved making movies. His co-star Robert Pattinson said in a statement that he was “devastated” by the news and that Duress was “one of the most original and exciting actors” he had ever worked with.

His director Josh Safdie said that Duress was “pure electricity on screen” and that he was “heartbroken” by his loss.

The last movie Duress was in, Flinch, is set to come out later this year. In it, he played a hitman who falls in love with his target.

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