One of Cathey's earliest roles was starring in the children's television show Square One TV. Cathey was not only the game show announcer, but had many bit parts in the various sketches and was renown for songs like "Nine, Nine, Nine" [12] and "Rappin' Judge."[13] This was followed by guest roles in such series as Star Trek: The Next Generation and Homicide: Life on the Street. In 1994, he appeared in The Mask as Freeze, the main antagonist's friend and bodyguard who gets inadvertently killed by the title character.[11] He also appeared in 1995's Se7en as the coroner. He played the villain Dirty Dee in the cult comedy film Pootie Tang and had a regular role on the HBO series The Wire as Norman Wilson during the fourth and fifth seasons.[14] He also worked with The Wire creator David Simon on the Emmy Award-winning miniseries The Corner; Cathey played a drug addict known as Scalio. He had a recurring role on the HBO prison drama Oz as unit manager Martin Querns. In the film Tank Girl, he played the role of Deetee. He narrated Aftermath: Population Zero, a National Geographic Channel special which imagines what Earth might be like if humanity no longer existed. He played the homeless man Al, murdered by Patrick Bateman, in the film American Psycho. He narrated TLC's Wonders of Weather, a TV series. On Between the Lions, he played King Ray in the story of "Rumpelstiltskin" in the episode, "Hay Day".[citation needed]
In Fall 2009, Cathey played the role of Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding in a theatrical production of The Shawshank Redemption at Wyndham's Theatre, London.[16] He has made two guest appearances on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as an undercover police officer involved with animal smuggling (episode: "Wildlife") and later as a high-priced defense attorney to a hooker (episode: "Rhodium Nights"). He also made a guest appearance on Law & Order: Criminal Intent in the episode "Anti-Thesis" as a college professor suspected of murder. He also played boxing promoter Barry K. Word on the FX series Lights Out.[17]
In 2013, Cathey began a recurring role as Freddy Hayes, the owner of Freddy's BBQ, in Netflix's original series House of Cards, as well as on Grimm, in the recurring role of Baron Samedi. His portrayal of Hayes in the second, third, and fourth seasons of House of Cards earned three Emmy nominations and one win for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.[18]
Cathey had expressed a wish to appear in the Irish soap opera Fair City.[19]
Cathey died at his home in New York City on February 9, 2018, at the age of 59. He was reported to have had lung cancer.[2][3][22] He was cremated, and his ashes were spread in New York City.[23]
^Radloff, Jessica (September 13, 2015). "Darren Criss Talks Glee, Derek Hough Wins His Second Emmy, and More News From the Creative Arts Emmys". Glamour. As for Reg E.'s interesting first and middle name, the actor admits that he came about his name in the most unusual of ways when he was 19 years old. "My [legal] name is Reginald Eurias, so I've always been Reggie, but I was in love years ago and there was that song, 'Chuck E.'s In Love,' [by Rickie Lee Jones], so I made it Reg E.
