'The Wire,' 'Veep' Actor Dies At 71: 'A Brilliant Actor And Even Better Person'

NEW YORK — Veteran actor Isiah Whitlock Jr. — known for his roles in prestige television shows such as “The Wire” and in Spike Lee movies — has died, according to his manager.

“It is with tremendous sadness that I share the passing of my dear friend and client Isiah Whitlock Jr.,” manager Brian Liebman wrote in a social media post. “If you knew him — you loved him. A brilliant actor and even better person.”

Whitlock died Tuesday at age 71 in New York after a short illness, Liebman told Deadline, which reported the actor was born in South Bend, Indiana, and began acting at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater after college.

He worked for decades, becoming a frequent face on television starting in the 1980s and continuing to appear in TV and movies often until his death.

In addition to playing state Sen. R. Clayton Davis on “The Wire,” other political roles included Secretary of Defense George Maddox in “Veep” and New Orleans Mayor Charlie Figaro in “Your Honor.” His last role was as Chief of Police Larry Dokes in the Netflix murder mystery series "The Residence," about a killing at the White House.

He also appeared in several Spike Lee films, including the recent critical successes “Da 5 Bloods” in 2020 and “BlacKkKlansman” in 2018.

In a social media post and comment on Tuesday, Lee wrote that Whitlock "shined" in his films and referred to Whitlock as "my dear beloved brother."

Whitlock’s death comes less than two weeks after that of fellow “The Wire” co-star James Ransone, 46, who rose to fame for his turn in the critically acclaimed HBO show’s second season as the charismatic but vulnerable and ill-fated ne'er-do-well Ziggy Sobotka. Ransone’s death was an apparent suicide.