Isiah Whitlock Jr., the instantly recognizable character actor best known for playing the corrupt (and endlessly quotable) state senator Clay Davis on The Wire, has died at the age of 71. Variety confirmed Whitlock’s passing on Tuesday in New York, while his manager, Brian Liebman, shared the news on Instagram, writing:
“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 was one of Hollywood’s most dependable and charismatic character actors, the kind who could walk into a scene for five minutes and completely own it.
