The cause of death for Buddy Duress, the actor who co-starred alongside Robert Pattinson in the movie Good Time, has been revealed.
Duress, born Michael C. Stathis, died in November 2023 at the age of 38.
But his death — and its cause — has only just been made public.
Stream the world’s best reality, entertainment and true-crime shows free on 7plus
The actor’s brother, Christopher Stathis, confirmed the cause of death as a “cardiac arrest from a drug cocktail” in a statement provided to People.
Duress is perhaps best known for starring alongside Pattinson in the 2017 crime thriller Good Time, directed by brothers Josh and Bennie Safdie.
He had made his acting debut three years earlier in another Safdie brothers film called Heaven Knows What.
Born in Queens, New York, the actor played a drug dealer who becomes Pattinson’s partner-in-crime in Good Time.
Other roles included Person to Person (2017), The Great Darkened Days (2018), Beware of Dog (2020), Flinch (2021) and Funny Pages (2022).
The actor had two more projects set for release in 2024 — a short film called Skull and a feature film, Mass State Lottery, directed by Jay Karales.
As news emerged of the death of Duress, Karales took to X (formerly Twitter), describing him as an “absolute treasure”.
“Without a doubt, Buddy Duress was one of the most entertaining people I’ve ever met, and his stories were unrivalled,” he wrote.
“I remember seeing him in Good Time in 2017 and saying, ‘That is what the future of acting needs to be. That guy.’
“He brought a certain authenticity and charisma to the screen that you just don’t see anymore.
“It was a dream to get him in Mass State Lottery, and I feel privileged to have been his director and his friend.”
Others took to Duress’ Instagram page to share their sadness.
“RIP Buddy. Such a talent. 😢,” one fan wrote.
“This one hurts,” added another.
“You were and are such an inspiration, I’ve written entire scenes based on your monologue in Good Time,” another fan wrote.
“One of the actors I was genuinely wanting to work with if I ever got the chance.
“Rest in peace Buddy ♥️.”
The actor had a complicated history with drugs and had spent time in Rikers prison in New York for theft and drug dealing.
In a story about Duress published by The New York Post in 2019, the actor claimed he wanted to give up drugs, which were hampering his career as an actor.
“I’m done with the drugs, man,” he told the outlet at the time.
“I want to get the f*** out of jail, get on with my life and keep acting.”
