Isiah Whitlock Jr. Santiago Felipe/Getty Images Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Isiah Whitlock Jr., the actor who portrayed State Senator Clayton "Clay" Davis on HBO's The Wire, has died. He was 71. Whitlock's manager, Brian Liebman, announced his death Tuesday on Instagram. "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," Liebman wrote. "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." Related Stories Movies Meyer Gottlieb, Samuel Goldwyn Films Co-Founder and 'Master and Commander' Producer, Dies at 86 News Tatiana Schlossberg, Granddaughter of JFK and Daughter of Caroline Kennedy, Dies at 35 Born in Indiana in 1954, Whitlock began studying theater at Southwest Minnesota State University. Following his 1976 graduation, he attended San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater and earned his first onscreen credit in the 1981 TV movie A Christmas Carol. Whitlock went on to appear in several projects led by Spike Lee, including 25th Hour, She Hate Me, Red Hook Summer, Chi-Raq, BlacKkKlansman and Da 5 Bloods. In 2002, he joined The Wire as the corrupt state senator Clayton "Clay" Davis, a role he played through the series' end in 2008. Whitlock most recently appeared on Netflix's Emmy-nominated series The Residence, which starred Uzo Aduba. He also acted in Showtime's drama Your Honor across its first and second installments, and Veep, where he portrayed Secretary of Defense George Maddox. One of his earliest appearances on the silver screen came in 1990 with Goodfellas, where he played a doctor. Whitlock has additionally appeared in films including Disney's Enchanted (2007), Cedar Rapids (2011), the Chris Evans-led Lightyear and Elizabeth Banks' Cocaine Bear. Whitlock is expected to be heard in the 2026 Pixar-Disney film Hoppers. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Wicked: For Good 'Wicked: One Wonderful Night' Re-Airs New Year's Eve: How to Stream the TV Special Online Live Feed 'Stranger Things' Star Noah Schnapp on Will's Coming Out Scene: "It Was Perfect" Terry Sweeney 'SNL' Alum Terry Sweeney Breaks Silence on Chevy Chase CNN Doc Controversy: "He's So Rotten" Yvette Nicole Brown Yvette Nicole Brown Appears to Put CNN Chevy Chase Doc on Blast: "Keep My Name Out of Your Mouth" Ruth Jones Harlan Coben on New Netflix Series 'Run Away' Getting Disturbing, Like All His Stories: "In Real Life, I'm Actually a Fairly OK Guy" Live Feed 'Shrinking' Season 3 Trailer Reveals First Footage of Michael J. Fox's Acting Return Wicked: For Good 'Wicked: One Wonderful Night' Re-Airs New Year's Eve: How to Stream the TV Special Online Live Feed 'Stranger Things' Star Noah Schnapp on Will's Coming Out Scene: "It Was Perfect" Terry Sweeney 'SNL' Alum Terry Sweeney Breaks Silence on Chevy Chase CNN Doc Controversy: "He's So Rotten" Yvette Nicole Brown Yvette Nicole Brown Appears to Put CNN Chevy Chase Doc on Blast: "Keep My Name Out of Your Mouth" Ruth Jones Harlan Coben on New Netflix Series 'Run Away' Getting Disturbing, Like All His Stories: "In Real Life, I'm Actually a Fairly OK Guy" Live Feed 'Shrinking' Season 3 Trailer Reveals First Footage of Michael J. Fox's Acting Return