Isiah Whitlock Jr obituary: Actor who played Clay Davis and popularised 'sheee-it'.

Isiah Whitlock Jr, the actor best known for playing Maryland state senator Clay Davis in The Wire, has died aged 71. He was noted for a distinctive elongated expletive and a long career across stage, film and television.

Isiah Whitlock Jr has died aged 71. He was best known for playing the venal Maryland state senator Clay Davis across all five series of the US crime drama The Wire. Whitlock was widely noted for a distinctive elongated expletive often rendered as "sheee-it", a delivery that traces back to a role in Spike Lee's 25th Hour. He worked across stage, film and television for decades. Notable facts: - Whitlock portrayed Clay Davis in The Wire and became closely associated with that character. - His stretched delivery of the expletive originated in Spike Lee's 25th Hour and was later echoed in other Lee films and in The Wire. - In 2015 he released a line of bobblehead dolls that spoke the phrase; more than 10,000 were sold according to the article. - He was born in South Bend, Indiana, the fifth of 11 children, and studied at Southwest Minnesota State University before training at the American Conservatory Theater. - His credits included stage work and screen roles in films such as Goodfellas and Da 5 Bloods, appearances in the Law & Order franchise, and television roles including Veep and Your Honor. Summary: Whitlock's death marks the end of a long and varied career in which a memorable vocal manner sometimes coexisted with subtler, morally ambiguous performances. Undetermined at this time.