Renowned actor Isiah Whitlock Jr. has passed away, as confirmed by Liebman Entertainment through their social media platforms.

“With profound sorrow, we announce the loss of Isiah Whitlock Jr., a cherished member of our family,” Liebman Entertainment expressed in a heartfelt social media message. “His vibrant spirit and memorable on-screen presence will be sorely missed. His talent and legacy are indelible and will continue to be celebrated.”

Brian Liebman, Whitlock’s manager, also honored the actor on Instagram, describing him as a “brilliant actor and an even more remarkable person.”

“Those who knew him loved him,” Liebman commented. “May his memory be an everlasting blessing. Our hearts are shattered, and he will be profoundly missed.”

Whitlock gained fame for his role in “The Wire” and was known for his collaborations with director Spike Lee, featuring in acclaimed films such as “Da 5 Bloods” and “BlacKkKlansman.”

Born on Sept. 13, 1954, in South Bend, Indiana, Whitlock got his start as an actor while attending college at Southwest Minnesota State University, where he had a football scholarship and studied theater. He joined the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, CA, after graduating in 1976.

In 1987, he landed a role in the TV series “Cagney & Lacey,” in which, according to IMDB, Whitlock played a man getting in a cab.

He went on to book a few more roles in films like “Gremlins 2: The New Batch,” “Goodfellas” in 1990, where he played a doctor, the TV series “As the World Turns” and more.

From 2002 to 2008, he starred as Senator R. Clayton “Clay” Davis in “The Wire.” He made the role his own when he developed the catchphrase for his character, “sheeeeee-it.”

The actor told Baltimore Media Blog in 2015 that the catchphrase came about when he started working on Spike Lee’s 2002 film “25th Hour.”

“When I started working on ‘The Wire,’ I started slipping it in my dialogue,” he said. “The writers eventually started writing it in.”

He added that he had fond memories of being in the show, saying, “I always looked forward to coming to work. The show was so good. They ran a tight ship. Fantastic writing. I had a rare moment of truly enjoying what I was doing. They gave me a lot of freedom to create a character. Flex my muscles so to speak.”

Following “The Wire,” Whitlock continued to star in several TV series, including “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “Rubicon” and “Meet the Browns.” He also starred in the 2011 film “Cedar Rapids” and the 2008 film “Cadillac Records” alongside Beyoncé, Adrien Brody and Jeffrey Wright.

In 2012, he collaborated again with Lee for “Red Hook Summer” and also starred in the TV series “Smash.”

He went on to star in “Veep” alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus from 2013 to 2015 as George Maddox and more.

Whitlock lauded the improvisation on “Veep” in a 2021 interview with The A.V. Club and said, “The improvisation on this show was just phenomenal and it was great.”

“You had to bring your game,” he added. “You didn’t have very much time to think along the way. You just had to open up yourself to react and respond. But once you do that, it’s really a nice little ride.”

The last film he collaborated on with Lee was “Da 5 Bloods.” It was nominated for an Academy Award in 2021 for original score.

In 2020, he starred in the TV series “Your Honor” as Charlie Figaro alongside Bryan Cranston, Hope Davis, Michael Stuhlbarg and more. The show lasted two seasons and wrapped in 2023.

His most recent role was as Larry Dokes in the Netflix miniseries, “The Residence,” which he starred in with Uzo Aduba, Giancarlo Esposito, Randall Park and more.

In the upcoming 2026 Disney film “Hoppers,” Whitlock voiced the character of Bird King. The film also stars Jon Hamm, Meryl Streep, Kathy Najimy and Dave Franco.