Isiah Whitlock Jr. Dies: ‘The Wire’ and ‘Da 5 Bloods’ Actor Was 71

Isiah Whitlock Jr., a character actor known for his roles on HBO drama The Wire and Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods, has died. He was 71.

Whitlock’s manager Brian Liebman announced his death on Dec. 30, with a statement on Instagram.

“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,” Liebman wrote. “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.”

HBO also shared news of his passing on social media. The network posted a tribute to the actor on X, writing: “Rest in Peace Isiah Whitlock Jr.”

Whitlock was born in South Bend, Indiana in 1954. He studied theater at Southwest Minnesota State University, and after graduating went on to the American Conservatory Theater.

Rest in peace Isiah Whitlock Jr. pic.twitter.com/HdX0Kipy4w

— HBO (@HBO) December 31, 2025

The actor launched his professional career in the early 1980s, and earned his first credit in A Christmas Carol (1981). He followed up with small parts in the television series Cagney & Lacey, Law & Order, As the World Turns, New York Undercover, NYPD Blue, and the films Goodfellas and The Spanish Prisoner.

His breakout role came on HBO crime drama The Wire, which premiered in 2002. Whitlock played corrupt Maryland State Senator Clay Davis throughout the show’s five-season run.

Davis was known for his distinctive pronunciation of the curse word shit as “Sheeeeeeeee-it.” The actor even sold a line of talking Bobbleheads that would deliver the line.

Whitlock had dozens of credits on IMDb. More recently he played Defense Secretary George Maddox on the HBO comedy “Veep.” He portrayed Earn’s father Raleigh Marks on FX’s “Atlanta,” and had a role as Charlie Figaro on  Showtime legal thriller Your Honor

Earlier this year, he co-starred as police chief Larry Dokes in Netflix murder mystery series The Residence.

The actor was a frequent Spike Lee collaborator, and had roles in the director’s films 25th Hour (2002), She Hate Me (2004),  Red Hook Summer (2012), Chi-Raq (2015), BlacKkKlansman (2018) and Da 5 Bloods (2020).

Lee remembered the actor Tuesday evening on Instagram, writing: “Today I Learned of The Passing Of My Dear Beloved Brother Isiah Whitlock. God Bless.”