“Good Time” Star Buddy Duress Dies at 38

The world of acting is currently feeling death’s brutal sting following the demise of Buddy Duress, a talented actor. He was 38. Duress (né Michael C. Stathis) is most famous for starring alongside Robert Pattinson in the Safdie brothers’ 2017 crime thriller “Good Time.”

Duress’ brother Christopher Stathis revealed the sad news to People on Tuesday. According to him, the actor died in November 2023 of “cardiac arrest from a drug cocktail.” Duress was born in Queens, New York, in May 1985.

He made his acting debut in Josh and Benny Safdie’s 2014 film “Heaven Knows What.” The movie also stars Caleb Landry Jones and Arielle Holmes. 

In “Good Time,” Duress channeled Ray, a drug dealer who becomes Connie Nikas’ (Pattinson) partner in crime. The movie follows their adventures as the two attempt to retrieve a Sprite bottle containing liquid LSD.

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Besides “Heaven Knows What” and “Good Time,” Duress also worked on such films as “Person to Person” (2017), “The Great Darkened Days” (2018), “Beware of Dog” (2020), “PVT Chat” (2020), “Flinch” (2021) and “Funny Pages” (2022). 

Duress has two more unreleased projects: a short film titled “Skull” and Jay Karales’ debut feature “Mass State Lottery,” set to release this year. Director-writer Karales, known professionally as LowRes Wünderbred, was one of those who took to social media with a tribute to Duress. 

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“This man was an absolute treasure. Without a doubt, Buddy Duress was one of the most entertaining people I’ve ever met, and his stories were unrivaled. 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,” Karales continued. “It was a dream to get him into Mass State Lottery, and I feel privileged to have been his director and his friend.”

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Duress is survived by his mother, Jo-Anne, and younger brother, Christopher. Quite a number of celebrities were lost last year to numerous tragedies. Some of the late stars include Matthew Perry, Suzanne Somers, and Tina Turner. They are now late, but their star continues to shine, and their legacies live on in the hearts of those they left behind.

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