Liebman Entertainment confirmed on social media that actor Isiah Whitlock Jr. has passed away.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of one of our family members, Isiah Whitlock Jr.,” Lipman Entertainment said in a statement on social media. “We will miss him greatly for his enthusiasm for life and the unforgettable presence he brought to the screen. I hope we will always remember his talent and legacy.”
The actor’s manager, Brian Lipman, also praised the actor on Instagram, calling Whitlock a “brilliant actor and an even better person.”
“If you knew him, you loved him,” Lipman said. “May his memory be a blessing forever. Our hearts are so broken. We will miss him terribly.”
He is known for “The Wire” and for frequently collaborating with director Spike Lee on films such as “Da 5 Bloods” and “BlacKkKlansman.”
Whitlock was born on September 13, 1954, in South Bend, Indiana, and began his career as an actor while attending college at Southwestern Minnesota State University, where he earned a football scholarship and studied theater. He joined the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, California, after graduating in 1976.
In 1987, he got a role in the TV series “Cagney.” & Lacey,” in which, according to IMDB, Whitlock played a man riding in a taxi.
He went on to book some additional roles in films like “Gremlins 2: The New Batch,” 1990’s “Goodfellas” where he played a doctor, 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 his character’s catchphrase “sheeeee-it.”
The actor told Baltimore Media Blog in 2015 that the phrase came about when he started working on the 2002 Spike Lee film “25th Hour.”
“When I started working on The Wire, I started incorporating it into my dialogue,” he said. “The book finally started being written.”
He added that he has fond memories of being on the show, saying: “I always looked forward to coming to work. The show was very good. They ran a tight ship. Great writing. I had a rare moment of really enjoying what I was doing. They gave me a lot of freedom to create a character. Flex my muscles so to speak.”
After “The Wire,” Whitlock went on to star in several television series, including “Law.” & The System: Criminal Intent, Rubicon, and Meet Brown. He also starred in the 2011 film Cedar Rapids and the 2008 Cadillac Records film alongside Beyoncé, Adrien Brody, and Jeffrey Wright.
In 2012, he again collaborated with Lee in the film “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 and more.
Whitlock praised the improvisation on “Veep” in a 2021 interview with The AV Club and said, “The improvisation on that show was amazing and it was great.”
“You had to bring your game,” he added. “You didn’t have a lot of time to think along the way. You just had to open yourself up to react and respond. But once you do, it’s a really nice little journey.”
The last film he collaborated on with Lee was “Da 5 Bloods”. It was nominated for a 2021 Academy Award for the original score.
In 2020, he starred in the TV series “Your Honor” as Charlie Figaro alongside Bryan Cranston, Hope Davis, Michael Stuhlbarg and others. The show lasted two seasons and ended in 2023.
His most recent role was as Larry Dokes in the Netflix miniseries “The Residence,” in which he starred with Uzo Aduba, Giancarlo Esposito, Randall Park, and more.
In the upcoming 2026 Disney film “Hoppers,” Whitlock voices the character Bird King. The film stars Jon Hamm, Meryl Streep, Kathy Najimy, and Dave Franco.
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