Aahana Swrup
The conclusion of ‘Average Joe’ season 2 brings many unexpected changes to the life of the titular character. The finale finds Joe Washington free from Sipho’s chase, entertaining the possibility of returning to his old life once again. However, he’s pulled back into the fray with a cryptic phone call from a dangerous woman who is the original owner of the heroin that his father stole. The woman, Amina, claims to be holding his family, Angela and Jennifer, at gunpoint. She’s after the stolen heroin stash, which Joe handed over to Cathy moments ago. Thus, there’s a moment of hesitation when Amina threatens Angela and Jennifer’s lives unless Joe can supply her with the address to Teddy’s cache. Joe hesitates, and twin gunshots go off on the other side of the phone call. The finale’s sobering end is further heightened by the tribute at the end of the episode, commemorating the life of Arthur “King Doran” Reed.
Arthur “King Doran” Reed Passed Away After a Lifelong Battle With Sickle Cell Anemia
Arthur Reed, known as King Doran, was born and raised in Los Angeles. From a young age, he discovered a love for acting and quickly adapted to life as a child actor. In his early life, he worked on television, print ads, and even entertained ambitions of making it into the music industry as a hip-hop artist under the name “Slim D.” Later, Reed realized that more than acting, he was deeply interested in what went on behind the scenes. As a result, as he grew up, he began pursuing film and TV production. His earliest work in the industry included ‘Friday,’ on which he served as a production assistant. Afterward, he went on to work on ‘Panther,’ the Mario Van Peebles directorial film. Eventually, he found his true calling at Robi Reed and Associates, his sisters’ casting company.
The casting company worked on various notable projects, including ‘Ant wone Fisher,’ ‘Soul Food,’ ‘I Can Do Bad All By Myself,’ ‘Flip the Script,’ and more. It was in 2010 that the company partnered with lack Entertainment Television (BET) and started working on their original programming. Reed himself worked on projects like ‘The New Edition Story’ and ‘Games People Play.’ He also worked on BET+ shows like ‘Diarra from Detroit,’ ‘Kingdom Business,’ and ‘Average Joe.’ Outside of the film industry, Reed was also involved in spreading awareness about Sickle Cell Anemia, a blood disorder that he himself was born with.
Although Reed’s battle with the disease was chronic, the love and support of his friends and family, as well as the work of exceptional healthcare providers, helped him live his life to the fullest. In 2025, the casting director was even planning on working with a Canadian documentarian to star in a feature about living with Sickle Cell Anemia. Tragically, the disease resulted in his untimely death before this project could come to pass. Reed passed away on May 13, 2025. In his death, he will be remembered in the memories of his wife, Nickey Bennett Reed, four children, Caiden, Roxi, Nixon, and Calliope Reed, as well as his friends, family, and loved ones.
Read More: Rajeev Malhotra Tribute on Lioness: How Did He Die?
