Isiah Whitlock Jr. Passes Away, The Internet Reacts

Sheeeeeeeeeiiiiittttttttt, we lost another legend before the year is up, Isiah Whitlock Jr.

Variety confirmed that Isiah Whitlock Jr., who is best known as the crooked politician Clay Davis on HBO’s The Wire, died on Tuesday in New York. He was 71.

The actor’s manager, Brian Liebman, confirmed the shocking and tragic news on Instagram, writing in the caption of the post: “It is with tremendous sadness that I share the passing of my dear friend and client Isiah Whitlock Jr. If you knew him — you loved him. A brilliant actor and even better person. May his memory forever be a blessing. Our hearts are so broken. He will be very, very missed.”

Whitlock’s Iconic Resume

Born in Indiana, Whitlock was one of the many actors who frequently worked with Spike Lee, appearing in his films, aka “joints,” such as BlackKkKlansman, Da 5 Bloods, She Hate Me, 25th Hour, Red Hook Summer, and Chi-Raq.

Whitlock was best known for his famous catchphrase “sheeeeeeeeeeiiitttttt,” an exaggerated way of saying the sh*t, that caught fire after it was incorporated into Davis’ dialogue in The Wire, but it was first introduced in Spike Lee’s film, The 25th Hour.

Whitlock revealed that he would be stopped two or three times a day by people asking him to say the catchphrase.

Spike Lee films were not the only projects Whitlock was cast in. In the classic Scorsese mob film, Goodfellas, he played a doctor. He also had roles in Pieces of April, Pixar’s Cars 3, Lightyear, and Chappelle’s Show.

He also starred in seasons 2 through 4 of the HBO comedy sitcom Veep, where he played U.S. Secretary of Defense George Maddox, who ran against Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character Selina Meyer in a fictitious 2016 primary.

Whitlock most recently lent his voice talent for another Pixar film, Hoppers, due out in 2026.

He will be missed, but he will live forever through his contributions to film.

You can see reactions to his passing below.