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BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that stage and screen performer Isiah Whitlock, Jr. passed away on Tuesday, December 30, at the age of 71 following a brief illness. The news was confirmed by his manager Brian Liebman in a post on Instagram, who called Whitlock a “brilliant actor and even better person.”
Whitlock was known for his role as corrupt Maryland state senator Clay Davis on HBO’s The Wire, which ran from 2002 to 2008. For his character, he adopted a distinctive pronunciation of a swear word that became a repeated catchphrase as well as a memorable part of his performance.
He would go on to portray political leaders in a variety of other recurring and guest spots, including Defense Secretary George Maddox in Veep, New Orleans mayor Charlie Figaro in Showtime’s Your Honor. Other TV credits include The Good Wife, The Blacklist, Atlanta, Elementary, The Good Cop, and Madam Secretary.
Whitlock’s onscreen career was also punctuated by performances in films by legendary director Spike Lee, appearing in 25th Hour, She Hate Me, Red Hook Summer, Chi-Raq, BlacKkKlansman, and Da 5 Bloods. Recent film roles include 2020’s I Care a Lot, Pixar’s Lightyear, and the horror comedy Cocaine Bear. He will be featured posthumously in Pixar’s Hoppers and The Boy Is Water.
On the theater front, he appeared in Broadway productions of Larry Gelbart’s Mastergate, Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, and The Iceman Cometh, sharing the stage with a starry cast that included Tony Danza and Paul Giamatti. This 1999 revival would mark his final Broadway credit. In the early days of his career, he was a member of the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.
Photo courtesy of Oprah Winfrey Network
