From Newsgroup: alt.obituaries
https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/30/entertainment/isiah-whitlock-jr-obituary
Isiah Whitlock Jr., whose singular delivery of a tagline in oThe Wireo
gave the world one of the most iconic phrases of the century, has died
at the age of 71.
Whitlock opassed away today peacefully in NYC after a brave battle
with a short illness,o his manager, Brian Liebman, told CNN. oIsiah
was a brilliant actor and even better person.o
Whitlock had a storied career spanning more than three decades in both
TV and film. He appeared in a number of Spike Lee movies, including
oDa 5 Bloods,o oBlacKkKlansmano and oThe 25th Hour.o
He got his start in TV on oCagney & Laceyo in the 1980s and went on to
appear often in police procedurals, from oLaw & Ordero to oNYPD Blue.o
Most recently on TV, Whitlock played a police chief on oThe
Residence,o a Netflix murder mystery starring Uzo Aduba.
Whitlock will be most remembered for his unforgettable role in oThe
Wire,o David SimonAs HBO crime drama, which is widely recognized as
one of the best series of all time.
Whitlock appeared on all five seasons of the show as R. Clayton oClayo
Davis, a crooked Maryland state senator. He quickly became known for
his unique reaction to events, delivering an elongated os**to that
catapulted straight into the American lexicon.
Whitlock reveled in the attention that his delivery received. oI was
in, I think, Grand Central Station and far away I heard someone say it
and theyAd be kind of smiling,o he told an interviewer in 2008. oIAm
glad people enjoy it.o
In 2014, he started a YouTube series teaching people how they, too,
could perfectly say it. Whitlock said he got the phrase from his late
uncle Leon, who delivered it in a way that would always make people
laugh.
oDo I get tired of it? No,o he told the AP in 2020. oIf it makes you
feel good, so be it,o he said with a smile.
Whitlock also had a recurring role on oVeep,o playing General George
Maddox, a defense secretary who toys with a primary run against Vice
President Selina Meyer, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Whitlock grew up in Indiana, the fifth of ten children, and studied at
the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco before moving to
New York, where he lived for decades.
oHe was loved by all who had the pleasure to work with or know him,o
his manager said. oHe will be greatly missed.o
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