Actor Buddy Duress, known for his performance in the Safdie Brothers’ film Good Time alongside Robert Pattinson, has passed away at the age of 38. The news was confirmed by his brother Christopher Stathis, who stated that Duress died from a “cardiac arrest from a drug cocktail” in November 2023.
Duress made his acting debut in the Safdie Brothers’ 2014 film Heaven Knows What after meeting Josh Safdie shortly after his release from Rikers Island prison in the Bronx, New York. By the time Heaven Knows What premiered at the New York Film Festival in 2014, Duress had been caught by police and was back in Rikers Island. But after his release, he reconnected with the Safdies, who asked him to note his experiences down in a journal. They later adapted that journal into the script for Good Time.
Good Time was picked up by independent studio A24 and competed for the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival. Duress played Ray, who becomes Pattinson’s character’s partner in crime as they try to retrieve a stash of LSD. Duress’ other notable film roles included Person to Person (2017), Beware of Dog (2020), and Funny Pages (2022).
Duress was also set to star in the upcoming film Mass State Lottery later in 2024. The director, LowRes Wünderbred, paid tribute to Duress, praising him for bringing “a certain authenticity and charisma to the screen that you just don’t see anymore.” Wünderbred described Duress as an “absolute treasure” and said that his stories were unrivaled
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