The Wire star Isiah Whitlock Jr. dies at 71 after starring in multiple Spike Lee films
Isiah Whitlock Jr., a star of The Wire who became famous for his iconic catchphrase on the series, has died at 71.
Isiah Whitlock Jr., a star of The Wire who became famous for his iconic catchphrase on the series, has died at 71.
Whitlock died on Tuesday in New York, according to Deadline.
His manager, Brian Liebman, told the publication that he had died after a short illness.
In addition to his role as Senator R. Clayton Davis on the beloved HBO series, Whitlock was also featured in numerous popular shows, including Veep and Atlanta.
Whitlock proved to be as versatile on the big screen as on television with a stream of critically acclaimed films under his belt.
The director Spike Lee was a regular collaborator of Whitlock's, and the two had most recently worked together on Lee's lauded films Da 5 Bloods (2020) and the Oscar-winning BlacKkKlansman (2018).
Isiah Whitlock Jr., a star of The Wire who became famous for his iconic catchphrase on the series, has died at 71; pictured October 9 in NYC
His manager, Brian Liebman, told the publication that he had died after a short illness on Tuesday; Whitlock seen in Cocaine Bear (2023)
In a statement shared to Instagram, Liebman shared the news of Whitlock's death with 'tremendous sadness.'
'If you knew him - you loved him. A brilliant actor and even better person. May his memory forever be a blessing,' Liebman penned.
'Our hearts are so broken. He will be very, very missed.'
Whitlock, who was born and raised in Indiana, first embarked on his acting career while studying theater arts at Southwest Minnesota State University.
He further honed his craft at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco after his 1976 college graduation.
Whitlock's first high-profile acting gig came in 1987 as he snagged a guest spot on the police drama, Cagney & Lacey, which ran for seven seasons on CBS.
He went on to appear in a number of hit shows, including Law & Order, New York Undercover and NYPD Blue, before landing his career-defining role on The Wire in 2002.
He starred as Senator R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis, a corrupt senator, for the entire five-season run of David Simon's HBO crime drama.
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Whitlock is best known for his role as Senator R. Clayton Davis on the beloved HBO series, The Wire
The director Spike Lee was a regular collaborator of Whitlock's, and the two had most recently worked together on Lee's lauded films Da 5 Bloods(2020) and the Oscar-winning BlacKkKlansman (2018); Lee and Whitlock pictured