Celebrity News December 31, 2025
'The Wire' Star Isiah Whitlock Jr. Dies at 71
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Isiah Whitlock Jr., who starred in “The Wire,” has died. He was 71.
His manager Brian Liebman told Deadline that the actor passed away peacefully on Tuesday after battling a short illness.
Whitlock played corrupt State Sen. R. Clayton “Clay” Davis as a recurring character on Seasons 1 to 4 of “The Wire,” before joining the show as a main cast member in Season 5.
His decades-long career began in the 1980s and included other recurring roles in shows like “Veep,” “Your Honor,” and "Atlanta.”
Whitlock frequently worked with Spike Lee, appearing in six of the director’s film: “25th Hour” (2002), “She Hate Me” (2004), “Red Hook Summer (2012), “Chi-Raq” (2015), “BlakKkKlansman” (2018), and “Da 5 Bloods” (2020).
He introduced his signature phrase “sheeeeeit” in “25th Hour,” and went on to use it in “The Wire” and other projects.
Following Whitlock’s death, Lee shared a photo of the two of them on Instagram. He wrote, "Today I Learned Of The Passing Of My Dear Beloved Brother ISIAH WHITLOCK. GOD BLESS🙏🏾💜🙏🏾💜🙏🏾💜🙏🏾💜🙏🏾💜."
