Isaiah Whitlock Jr.an actor who frequently appeared in memorable HBO series. Wire And Vice President and in five films with the director Spike Leedied on Tuesday. He was 71 years old.
Whitlock's manager Brian Liebman told The Associated Press in an email that the actor died in New York after a short illness.
Whitlock played the blatantly corrupt state senator Clay Davis in 25 episodes over the show's five seasons. Wire.
Davis, a fan-favorite character, was known for his foul-mouthed line—”damn it”—uttered by Whitlock in moments of triumph and raw honesty. The actor first used the phrase in his first film with Lee in 2002. 25th hourwhen his detective hero discovers a stash of drugs hidden on the couch.
“It’s a big, big, big loss,” Lee said in a phone call with the AP Tuesday night. “I will miss him for the rest of my life.”
Whitlock starred in four more of Lee's films, including the 2004 film. She hates me2012 Red Hook Summer2015s Chi-Lear2018s BlackKkKlansman and 2020s Yes 5 bloods.
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“We have been in harmony all these years,” Lee said. “We clicked from the jump.”
Lee said he has particularly fond memories of the long time he spent shooting Whitlock. Yes 5 bloods on set in Thailand, and he fondly recalled the last time he saw Whitlock – Lee and his daughter Satchel sat with him at a screening of the film Kiss of the Spider Woman earlier this year.
“He was just a beautiful, beautiful soul,” Lee said. “If you were around him, he made everyone feel good in his presence. He would shine. I would put that above his acting.”
Lee pointed out Whitlock's comic talents both on and off screen.
“He was funny,” Lee said. “That was his nature, he made people laugh. Everyone was in on the joke.”
Whitlock is the second significant star Wire to die in recent weeks following the death of actor James Ransone.
A native of South Bend, Indiana, Whitlock attended Southwestern Minnesota State University, where he played football and studied theater. Injuries prompted him to study acting, and he moved to San Francisco to work in the theater.
He began appearing in small roles on television in shows such as Cagney and Lacey in the late 1980s, and he had very small roles in the 1990 films. Nice Guys And Gremlins 2: New Batch.
After WireWhitlock moved on to another HBO show, a political satire. Vice Presidentwhere he played Secretary of Defense George Maddox for three seasons. The character ran against Selina Meyer and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the presidential primaries.
Wire creator David Simon also paid tribute to Whitlock. in a post on Bluesky.
“As fine an actor as he was,” Simon said, “Isaiah was an even better spirit and the greatest gentleman.”
© 2025 The Canadian Press
