Actor Isiah Whitlock Jr., best known for his role on HBO's 2000s crime drama "The Wire," has died, his manager said Tuesday.

On December 30, 2025, Deadline reported that the widely respected and highly memorable actor Isiah Whitlock Jr. had passed away in New York at the age of 71.

Whitlock worked with Lee on six joints: “BlacKkKlansman,” “Da 5 Bloods,” “She Hate Me,” “25th Hour,” “Red Hook Summer” and “Chi-Raq.”