ACTOR ISIAH WHITLOCK Jr, best known for playing Clay Davis in TV series The Wire has died aged 71. 

Whitlock had a long career in both film and television which included roles in a number of movies by director Spike Lee such as BlacKkKlansman, Da 5 Bloods and Red Hook Summer. 

As well as his role in The Wire, he had recurring TV roles in series such as Veep and Law and Order. 

Whitlock’s manager Brien Liebman confirmed the news of his passing 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 played corrupt State Senator Clay Davis across all five seasons of The Wire in the 2000s and was a central figure in portraying the interaction between crime and politics that was the main theme of the acclaimed series. 

Davis’s characteristic “sheeeeeeeeee-it” was as close to a catchphrase as it comes in a drama series and the phrase has taken on a life of its own as a meme in the years since the series ended. 

aWhitlock was born in South Bend, Indian in 1954 and died yesterday in New York aged 71. 

A number of other actors who played characters in The Wire have died in recent years including Michael K Williams, who played Omar Little, Lance Reddick who played Cedric Daniels and most recently James Ransone, who played Ziggy Sobotka.