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Isiah Whitlock Jr., the character actor best known for playing the corrupt Senator Clay Davis in The Wire, has died. He was 71.
The Indiana-born actor was also acclaimed for his work in Veep, Chappelle’s Show, Law & Order and several Spike Lee movies.
His manager Brian Liebman made the announcement on Instagram, writing: “It is with tremendous sadness that I share the passing of my dear friend and client Isiah Whitlock Jr. 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. He will be very, very missed.”
Whitlock reportedly died peacefully in New York following a short illness.
He was born on September 13, 1954, in South Bend, Indiana. He graduated from John Adams High School in 1972 and later attended Southwest Minnesota State University. He initially earned a football scholarship but a series of injuries led him to focus on acting.
He launched his film career in 1990, earning small roles in Gremlins 2: The New Batch and Goodfellas. On television, he played a number of different roles across the Law & Order franchise beginning in 1995.
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Whitlock played Senator Clay Davis on ‘The Wire’ from 2002 to 2008, earning fans with his Machiavellian scheming and his catchphrase, an elongated ‘s***’ (HBO)
From 2002 to 2008 he played Senator Clayton ‘Clay’ Davis in The Wire, the scheming and opportunistic character who would become his signature. Fans delighted in his Machiavellian plotting and his catchphrase, an elongated expression of the expletive “s***”.
Also in 2002, director Spike Lee cast Whitlock to appear in the Edward Norton-led drama 25th Hour. It was the start of a productive collaboration between Lee and Whitlock, which also included 2004’s She Hate Me, 2012’s Red Hook Summer, 2015’s Chi-Raq, 2018’s BlacKkKlansman and 2020’s Da 5 Bloods.
From 2003 to 2006, he made appearances on sketch series Chappelle’s Show, and from 2013 to 2015, he played General George Maddox on hit political sitcom Veep.
His most recent credits include the 2023 film Cocaine Bear and this year’s Netflix murder mystery The Residence.
Among the many paying tribute to Whitlock was his The Wire co-star Andre Royo, who played Bubbles. “I can’t… another Wire brother and friend,” wrote Royo on X. “This hurts to no end but your memory will live forever in my heart. Hark the sound of an angel soars. Love you legend Isiah Whitlock.”
Whitlock’s Cocaine Bear co-star O’Shea Jackson Jr also paid his respects, writing on X: “Saddened by the news about Isaiah Whitlock Jr. Was lucky to work with him in Ireland when we filmed Cocaine Bear. Such a kind man and funny as hell. Rest in peace brotha. Prayers and love to his family.”