Overview
- Manager Brian Liebman announced Whitlock’s Dec. 30 passing in an Instagram tribute and confirmed details to multiple outlets.
- Colleagues and creators shared remembrances, with Spike Lee and David Simon posting tributes and actors including Bryan Cranston honoring his legacy.
- Whitlock earned wide recognition as Clay Davis on HBO’s The Wire across all five seasons, popularizing an elongated expletive that became a pop-culture touchstone.
- He was a frequent Spike Lee collaborator, appearing in six of the director’s films beginning with 25th Hour, where his signature delivery first surfaced.
- Recent credits include a series-regular turn in Netflix’s The Residence, and he will be heard posthumously in Pixar’s Hoppers, slated for release in 2026.