Isiah Whitlock Jr., the veteran character actor best known for his work on The Wire, has died. He was 71.
Whitlock passed away Tuesday in New York after a brief illness, according to his manager, Brian Liebman, who said the actor died peacefully.
Born in South Bend, Indiana, Whitlock began his professional acting career after college with San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater. He made his first notable television appearance in 1987 on Cagney & Lacey and went on to build a steady and respected career across television, film, and theater spanning more than three decades.
He became widely known for portraying corrupt Baltimore politician State Sen. R. Clayton “Clay” Davis on The Wire. Whitlock appeared across all five seasons of the acclaimed HBO series, recurring throughout the show’s run before joining the main cast in its final season. His performance made Clay Davis one of the series’ most memorable figures and helped define Whitlock’s legacy in television drama.
Beyond The Wire, Whitlock was a familiar presence on television, with numerous guest appearances across the Law & Order franchise, including the original series, Special Victims Unit, and Criminal Intent. He later took on prominent recurring and regular roles, including Secretary of Defense Gen. George Maddox on HBO’s Veep and a politically connected figure tied to organized crime on Showtime’s Your Honor.
His most recent television role was as the Chief of Police opposite Uzo Aduba in Netflix’s White House murder mystery series The Residence, which premiered earlier this year.
In film, Whitlock maintained a long-standing professional relationship with Spike Lee, appearing in six of the director’s films, including 25th Hour, She Hate Me, Red Hook Summer, Chi-Raq, BlacKkKlansman, and Da 5 Bloods. Lee paid tribute to Whitlock following his death, referring to him as “my dear beloved brother.”
Whitlock was also widely recognized for his distinctive delivery of the phrase “Sheeeeeit,” first heard in 25th Hour and later incorporated into The Wire. In past interviews, he explained the delivery was inspired by a family member and later written into scripts as audiences embraced it.
His recent film credits include Elizabeth Banks’ Cocaine Bear, and he had completed voice work for the upcoming Pixar and Disney animated feature Hoppers.
“Isiah was a brilliant actor and even better person,” Liebman said in a statement. “He was loved by all who had the pleasure to work with or know him. He will be greatly missed.”
Sources: Deadline, HBO, Showtime, Netflix, IMDb
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