Reg E. Cathey was a well-respected actor who was taken too soon. He was born in Alabama, but spent most of his youth in West Germany, where he fell in love with acting. Cathey played pivotal roles in two of the biggest television series in American culture. In The Wire, Cathey played Norman Wilson, the slick mouthed political supervisor during Tommy Carcetti's rise to power. He was first featured in the fourth season of the critically acclaimed HBO series, but came back as part of the main cast for the final season as well. Later, Cathey played Freddy Hayes on House of Cards, which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2015. Sadly, Cathey passed away due to lung cancer at the age of 59 in February.
According to TMZ, Cathey made sure that his family would be set after his passing. Documents obtained by the site state that the actor had $495,000 saved up in separate accounts. The documents also contain a list of family members who are eligible to claim the cash. Cathey's funeral was inexpensive, costing just $2,000. He was cremated and his ashes were spread all over NYC stated his stepmother Maureen.