Overview
- Manager Brian Liebman confirmed the death to Deadline and said Whitlock died in New York after a brief illness.
- Whitlock was best known for portraying the corrupt Senator Clay Davis on HBO’s The Wire, a role that became a cultural touchstone.
- His four-decade career spanned television and film, including recurring collaborations with Spike Lee on 25th Hour, Chi-Raq, BlacKkKlansman and Da 5 Bloods.
- Recent credits included the 2023 film Cocaine Bear and appearances on series such as Veep and The Good Cop.
- Reporting notes a posthumous voice role planned for Pixar/Disney’s Hoppers, as colleagues and fans mourn following the recent death of fellow The Wire actor James Ransone.