Isaiah Whitlock Jr., best known for his role in the HBO series “The Wire” and his collaborations with director Spike Lee in films such as “BlacKkKlansman” and “BlacKkKlansman.”Yes 5 bloods“, died at the age of 71.
Whitlock's manager Brian Liebman shared the news of his client's death. Instagram post on Tuesday.
“It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of my dear friend and client Isaiah Whitlock Jr.,” Liebman wrote. “If you knew him – you would love him. A brilliant actor and an even better person. May his memory forever be a blessing. Our hearts are so broken. He will be so, so missed.”
Libman told Deadline that Whitlock died peacefully in New York after a short illness.
Whitlock was born in South Bend, Indiana, and dreamed of playing professional football. He told NPR in 2021, while playing for Southwestern Minnesota State University, he “suffered … a concussion, broken ankles.”
“It just didn’t make sense to me anymore… I wandered past the theater department.” After landing the role in The Crucible, he said he's been “working ever since.”
After graduating in 1976, Whitlock joined the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.
Early in his career, the actor starred in procedural films and dramas, including versions of the Law & Order franchise, notably Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
He is best known for his role in the HBO series The Wire as corrupt Maryland State Senator Clay Davis, whose stretchedheld out profanity“s—” became a memorable element of the 60-episode crime drama.
After brief appearances on several short-lived television series, including Fox's “New Amsterdam,” ABC's “The Unusuals,” CBS' “Chaos” and others, Whitlock returned to HBO with a recurring role on the political satire “Veep” as George Maddox, secretary of defense and presidential candidate.
Whitlock has also appeared on CBS' The Good Wife, Elementary, FX's Louie, Atlanta, Fox's Gotham, NBC's The Carmichael Show and many others. His most recent television role was as Police Chief Larry Dokes in the 2025 Netflix mystery comedy drama The Residence.
On the big screen, Whitlock appeared in the dark horror comedy Cocaine Bear in 2023, as well as several films directed by Lee, including She Hate Me (2004), Chi-Raq (2015), BlacKkKlansman (2018) and Da 5 Bloods (2020).
The director shared a photo of them together on his website. Instagram accountwriting, “Today I learned of the passing of my dear beloved brother Isaiah Whitlock. God bless.”
Whitlock is slated to have two posthumous releases: the 2026 Pixar animated film Hoppers and the Irish-American film Body is Water, directed by Vicki White.
