Isiah Whitlock Jr., “The Wire” Actor and Spike Lee Collaborator, Dead at 71

Isiah Whitlock Jr., The Wire actor and frequent collaborator with Spike Lee, died at 71 after a short illness, his representatives told Deadline. 

Across a long and colorful filmography, Whitlock held small roles in Goodfellas and Gremlins 2, stole scenes as a corrupt State Senator on 22 episodes of The Wire, and lent his voice to Cars 3 and Grand Theft Auto V.

With Spike Lee, he appeared in She Hate Me, 25th Hour, Red Hook Summer, Chi-Raq, BlacKkKlansman, and Da 5 Bloods, developing an in-universe trademark for, “Sheeeeeit,” his pronunciation of shit. He said in 2008 that he had picked this up from his uncle, Leon.

Born in South Bend, Indiana, Whitlock went on to appear in comedies as diverse as Cagney & Lacey, Veep, and Chappelle’s Show, plus more dramatic turns in Your Honor and The Residence, in which he was seen in eight episodes in 2025. He appeared as several characters across Law & Order franchises.