Beloved actor Isiah Whitlock Jr., iconic for his role as the corrupt Senator Clay Davis on HBO's 'The Wire,' has passed away at 71. He died peacefully in New York after a short illness, his manager confirmed to Deadline. Fans are flooding social media with tributes to his unforgettable catchphrase and versatile career.
Oh, Hollywood just lost a gem. Isiah Whitlock Jr., the man who gave us that legendary drawn-out 'Sheeeeeit...' from 'The Wire,' slipped away peacefully on Tuesday in New York. At 71, after battling a short illness, his manager Brian Liebman spilled to Deadline: "Isiah was a brilliant actor and even better person. He was loved by all who had the pleasure to work with or know him. He will be greatly missed." 😢
Whitlock's career? A masterclass in scene-stealing. He burst onto screens with his first major role in a 1985 episode of 'Cagney & Lacey,' then racked up 40 years of gold. Think corrupt state Senator R. Clayton Davis on 'The Wire'—pure shady perfection. He popped up in films like 'Goodfellas' and Spike Lee's '25th Hour,' where he first dropped that signature phrase. Lee fans, don't sleep: he collabed on 'BlacKkKlansman,' 'Da 5 Bloods,' and 'Chi-Raq' too.
TV lovers know him from recurring gigs on 'Veep,' 'Your Honor,' 'Atlanta,' and 'The Good Cop.' And get this—he's still got a posthumous voice role in the upcoming Pixar/Disney flick 'Hoppers,' hitting screens in March. Talk about leaving a mark! 💥
Social media is a mess of heartfelt shade and love right now. One fan on X tweeted: "Isiah Whitlock Jr. will forever (and rightfully so) be associated with The Wire, but I also adored the episode of Atlanta where he gets pressured into buying a fedora. A true icon on and off the screen." Another mourned: "I sure am gonna him, and that signature catchphrase of his. So iconic. It gave me so much life. A damn great actor on top of that. So long, my good sir."
Rest easy, Isiah. Who's ready to binge 'The Wire' and yell 'Sheeeeeit!' in your honor?
