Isiah Whitlock Jr., 'The Wire' actor and Spike Lee collaborator, dies at 71

Isiah Whitlock Jr., champion known for his relation successful HBO’s “The Wire” and his collaborations with manager Spike Lee successful films specified arsenic “BlacKkKlansman” and “Da 5 Bloods,” has died. He was 71.

Whitlock’s manager, Brian Liebman, shared quality of his client’s decease successful an Instagram station connected Tuesday.

“It is with tremendous sadness that I stock the passing of my beloved person and lawsuit Isiah Whitlock Jr.,” Liebman wrote. “If you knew him — you loved him. A superb histrion and adjacent amended person. May his representation everlastingly beryllium a blessing. Our hearts are truthful broken. He volition beryllium very, precise missed.”

Liebman told Deadline that Whitlock died peacefully successful New York aft a abbreviated illness.

Born successful South Bend, Ind., Whitlock had dreams of playing pro football. He told NPR successful 2021 that, portion playing astatine Southwest Minnesota State University, helium got “banged up ... concussions, breached ankles.”

“To maine it conscionable didn’t look to marque consciousness anymore. ... I wandered by the theatre department.” After nabbing a relation successful “The Crucible,” helium said he’d been “working ever since.”

After graduating successful 1976, Whitlock joined the American Conservatory Theater successful San Francisco.

At the commencement of his career, the histrion picked up roles successful procedurals and dramas, including iterations of the “Law & Order” franchise, notably “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.”

He astir famously near his people connected HBO’s “The Wire” arsenic corrupt Maryland State Sen. Clay Davis, whose drawn-out, drawled profanity, “s—,” became a memorable constituent of the 60-episode transgression drama.

After little appearances connected aggregate short-lived TV series, including Fox’s “New Amsterdam,” ABC’s “The Unusuals,” CBS’ “Chaos,” and others, Whitlock made his HBO instrumentality with a recurring relation connected the governmental satire “Veep” arsenic George Maddox, the caput of defence and statesmanlike candidate.

Whitlock besides appeared connected CBS shows “The Good Wife,” “Elementary,” FX’s “Louie,” “Atlanta,” Fox’s “Gotham,” NBC’s “The Carmichael Show” among galore more. His last TV relation was arsenic Chief of Police Larry Dokes successful Netflix’s 2025 enigma drama play “The Residence.”

On the large screen, Whitlock appeared successful the achromatic drama fearfulness movie “Cocaine Bear” successful 2023, arsenic good arsenic aggregate movies directed by Lee, including “She Hate Me” (2004), “Chi-Raq” (2015), “BlacKkKlansman” (2018) and “Da 5 Bloods” (2020).

The manager shared a photograph of the 2 connected his Instagram account, writing, “Today I learned of the passing of my beloved beloved member Isiah Whitlock. God Bless.”

Whitlock is slated for 2 posthumous releases, the 2026 Pixar animated movie “Hoppers” and the Irish American movie “The Body Is Water,” directed by Vicky Wight.