Isiah Whitlock Jr., star of 'The Wire,' 'Veep' dies at...

Isiah Whitlock Jr., a veteran character actor known for his work on "The Wire," "Veep" and several Spike Lee films, has died. The actor, recognizable by his round cheeks and warm smile, passed away Tuesday, Dec. 30, in New York after battling a short illness. He was 71. Whitlock's manager, Brian Liebman, confirmed the news to Deadline, saying, "Isiah was a brilliant actor and even better person. He was loved by all who had the pleasure to work with or know him. He will be greatly missed." Liebman also shared the news on Instagram, where he said of Whitlock, "If you knew him - you loved him. A brilliant actor and even better person. May his memory forever be a blessing. Our hearts are so broken." USA TODAY has reached out to Liebman for further comment. Whitlock is best known to viewers of HBO's "The Wire," on which he played corrupt State Sen. R. Clayton "Clay" Davis for all five seasons of the lauded crime drama. He also held notable roles on HBO's "Veep" as Secretary of Defense Gen. George Maddox, a shady politician on Showtime's "Your Honor" and, most recently, as the Chief of Police on Netflix's "The Residence." Whitlock and Lee also shared a long partnership, with the actor appearing in six of Lee's films, including "25th Hour" in 2002, "Red Hook Summer" in 2012 and "Da 5 Bloods" in 2020. In "25th Hour," Whitlock debuted his distinctive phrasing of "sh--" pronouncing it "Sheeeeeit." The delivery was also written into dialogue in Lee's "She Hate Me" and on "The Wire." Whitlock said in an online 2008 interview that he picked up the unique extension from his Uncle Leon and that it amused him to hear it said in public. "I was in, I think, Grand Central Station and far away I heard someone say it and they’d be kind of smiling. I'm glad people enjoy it. There could be worse things, I guess. But I hear rappers trying to do it and I've heard other people in other projects try to do it, but everybody knows if you really want to do it right, you're just going to have to bring the real guy in," he said. Isiah Whitlock's upcoming films Whitlock's most recent film role was in the 2023 dark comedy "Cocaine Bear." His voice will be heard as "Bird King" in the upcoming Pixar/Disney animated movie, "Hoppers." As well, Whitlock recently wrapped filming on the Irish/American movie "The Body is Water," starring Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Stephen Rea and Aidan Quinn. Whitlock was born Sept. 13, 1954, in South Bend, Indiana. In college at Southwest Minnesota State University, he played football until injuries prompted him to immerse himself in acting. In 1976, he joined the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco and landed his first meaningful role with a guest shot on CBS' "Cagney & Lacey" in 1987. Whitlock enjoyed a continual flow of TV appearances, including several within the "Law & Order" franchise, as well as an enduring film career with roles in "Pieces of April," "Cadillac Records" and a bit part in "Goodfellas." Decades after graduating from SMSU, Whitlock appeared as the school’s commencement speaker in 1999 and was the guest artist for its celebration of Black History Month in 2007.