Actor and Spike Lee Collaborator Isiah Whitlock Jr. Passes Away at 71

Actor Isiah Whitlock Jr, known for his roles in The Wire and Veep, has passed away at the age of 71.

Deadline is reporting that Isiah Whitlock Jr., a respected character actor known for roles in The Wire, Veep, Your Honor, The Residence, and multiple Spike Lee films, died peacefully on Dec. 30 in New York after a short illness, according to his manager Brian Liebman. He was 71.

Born in South Bend, Indiana, Whitlock Jr. began his acting career at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater after graduating from college. His first notable screen appearance was a guest role on Cagney & Lacey in 1987, followed by more than three decades of television roles, including numerous appearances across the Law & Order franchise.

He was best known for portraying corrupt State Senator R. Clayton “Clay” Davis on HBO’s The Wire, appearing throughout all five seasons, and for recurring roles on Veep as Secretary of Defense Gen. George Maddox and Your Honor as a politician tied to organized crime. His final television role was as the Chief of Police in Netflix’s The Residence, released earlier this year.

Whitlock Jr. also had a long-standing collaboration with Spike Lee, appearing in six of the filmmaker’s movies, including 25th Hour, BlacKkKlansman, and Da 5 Bloods. It was in 25th Hour that he introduced his signature delivery of “Sheeeeeit,” a phrase that later became a pop-culture staple through The Wire. He often spoke with amusement about hearing fans repeat it in public.

Disney fans may recognize Whitlock Jr. from several projects across the years. For live-action appearances, Whitlock Jr. starred as Sheriff Gene Dentler in 2016’s Pete’s Dragon and Ethan Banks in Enchanted. He also has a collection of roles in Pixar films, including River Scott in Cars 3 and Commander Burnside in Lightyear. 

His recent film work included Cocaine Bear, and he will appear posthumously as part of the voice cast in Pixar’s upcoming animated film Hoppers. Remembering him, Liebman said Whitlock Jr. was “a brilliant actor and even better person” who was deeply loved by colleagues and friends and will be greatly missed.