Isaiah Whitlock Jr. Passes Away at 71

Isaiah Whitlock Jr., known for his role in “The Wire,” has passed away at the age of 71. His manager, Brian Liebman, confirmed that he died peacefully in New York after a brief illness.

Whitlock gained recognition as Clay Davis, a corrupt state senator in the critically acclaimed HBO series “The Wire.” Following the announcement of his death, tributes poured in. Liebman expressed his sadness, stating, “If you knew him, you loved him. A great actor and an even greater person. May his memory be a blessing forever. Our hearts are so broken. He will be sorely missed.”

In addition to his work on “The Wire,” Whitlock was also well-known for his role as US Secretary of Defense George Maddox in the political satire “Veep.”

His career included appearances in several films directed by Spike Lee, such as “BlacKkKlansman,” “Da 5 Bloods,” and “Chi-Raq.” He is also remembered for introducing the word “sheeeeeit” in “25th Hour,” a phrase that became iconic and was later adopted into his character’s speech in “The Wire.”

Whitlock shared in a past interview how the phrase took on a life of its own: “I think I was in Grand Central Station and I heard someone say that in the distance, and they were kind of smiling. I’m glad people enjoyed it.”

He also had a notable role in Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas,” adding to his impressive filmography. Recently, Whitlock appeared in the Netflix series “The Residence,” which launched in March, and he lent his voice to Pixar’s upcoming animated film “Hoppers,” set for release in 2026.