Actor Isiah Whitlock Jr. has died, his manager confirmed to ABC News.
“It is with deep sadness that I share the passing of Isiah Whitlock Jr. He passed away today peacefully in NYC after a brave battle with a short illness,” his manager Brian Liebman said in a statement. “Isiah was a brilliant actor and even better person. He was loved by all who had the pleasure to work with or know him.”
Liebman also paid tribute to the actor on Instagram, writing, “If you knew him – you loved him. May his memory forever be a blessing. Our hearts are so broken. He will be very, very missed.”
He is known for The Wire and for frequently collaborating with director Spike Lee on films like Da 5 Bloods and BlacKkKlansman.
Born on Sept. 13, 1954, in South Bend, Indiana, Whitlock got his start as an actor while attending college at Southwest Minnesota State University, where he had a football scholarship and studied theater. He joined the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, CA, after graduating in 1976.
In 1987, he landed a role in the TV series Cagney & Lacey, in which, according to IMDB, Whitlock played a man getting in a cab.
He went on to book a few more roles in films like Gremlins 2: The New Batch, 1990’s Goodfellas, the TV series As the World Turns and more.
From 2002 to 2008, he starred as Senator R. Clayton “Clay” Davis in The Wire. He made the role his own when he developed a catchphrase for his character: “Sheeeeee-it.”
Following The Wire, Whitlock continued to star in several TV series, including Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Rubicon and Meet the Browns. He also starred in the 2011 film Cedar Rapids and the 2008 film Cadillac Records alongside Beyoncé, Adrien Brody and Jeffrey Wright.
In 2012, he collaborated with Lee for Red Hook Summer and also starred in the TV series Smash.
He went on to star in Veep alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus from 2013 to 2015 as George Maddox.
In 2020, he starred in the TV series Your Honor as Charlie Figaro alongside Bryan Cranston. The show lasted two seasons and wrapped in 2023.
His most recent role was as Larry Dokes in the Netflix miniseries The Residence, which he starred in with Uzo Aduba, Giancarlo Esposito, Randall Park and more.
In the upcoming 2026 Disney film Hoppers, Whitlock voiced the character of Bird King. The film also stars Jon Hamm, Meryl Streep, Kathy Najimy and Dave Franco.
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