Spike Lee Shares Tribute to Isiah Whitlock Jr.: ‘My Dear Beloved Brother’

Spike Lee has paid tribute to his longtime collaborator Isiah Whitlock Jr., who died on Tuesday in New York at age 71.

Lee shared a photo of himself with Whitlock on Instagram on Tuesday, writing, “Today I Learned Of The Passing Of My Dear Beloved Brother ISIAH WHITLOCK. GOD BLESS.”

Whitlock played small roles in several of Lee’s films, including “Red Hook Summer,” “Chi-Raq,” “She Hate Me” and “25th Hour.” His two major roles in Lee’s filmography came with “Da Five Bloods,” in which he plays Vietnam veteran Melvin alongside Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters and Norm Lewis, and “BlackKkKlansman,” in which he starred as police officer Mr. Turrentine alongside Alec Baldwin, John David Washington and Robert John Burke.

Brian Liebman, Whitlock’s manager, shared the news of his death in an Instagram post. He wrote, “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 was best known for playing the crooked state senator Clay Davis on “The Wire.” He also appeared in a recurring role on Seasons 2 through 4 of “Veep” as U.S. Secretary of Defense George Maddox, who runs against Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character Selina Meyer in the 2016 primaries.

The Indiana-born character actor also had small roles in “Goodfellas,” “Chappelle’s Show,” “Pieces of April,” “Enchanted,” “Cars 3” and “Lightyear.” His voice can be heard in Pixar’s “Hoppers,” which is set to debut in 2026.