American actor Isiah Whitlock Jr. died on Tuesday in New York at 71. He was best known for his roles in The Wire and the Law & Order franchise.Whitlock’s manager, Brian Liebman, shared the heartbreaking news on Instagram, confirming the beloved actor’s passing after a career that spanned more than three decades. Liebman 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.”In a separate statement to Deadline, Leibman revealed that Isiah Whitlock Jr. died peacefully after battling a short illness:“Isiah was a brilliant actor and even better person. He was loved by all who had the pleasure to work with or know him. He will be greatly missed.”The Wire actor was born in South Bend, Indiana. He enrolled in Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall through a football scholarship and diverted all his attention to the sport and theatre. However, after an injury forced Isiah Whitlock Jr. to stop playing football, he diverted all his attention to acting. He moved to San Francisco to join the American Conservatory Theater after graduating.More on this in our story.Remembering Isiah Whitlock Jr.- A lookback at his most memorable roles View this post on Instagram Instagram PostAlmost a decade after Whitlock's move to San Fransico, he appeared in a brief scene in the CBS' sitcom Cagney & Lacey, which kick-started his career. His notable initial roles include Alex Haley's Queen and Ocean on the small screen and Goodfellas, Eddie and Everyone Says I Love You on the big screen.Isiah Whitlock Jr.'s most notable role came in 2002, when he played Clayton "Clay" Davis, a corrupt Maryland State Senator with a reputation for pocketing bribes in David Simon's popular crime drama series The Wire. The actor appeared in 22 episodes as a recurring character throughout the four seasons before being promoted to the main cast in the fifth and final season.Whitlock is also known for his memorable performances in the Law & Order franchise, having appeared on the flagship series and its spin-offs Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Additionally, the actor is also known for playing Bob Harris in HBO's political satire comedy series Veep, Gus Redman / Gus Bradley in Spike's sci-fi horror series The Mist, Burl Loomis in Netflix's murder mystery drama The Good Cop and Charlie Figaro in Showtime's 2020 drama Your Honor.Recently, Isiah Whitlock Jr. played the main role of Larry Dokes in Netflix's mystery thriller series The Residence, which marks his final role on the small screen.In addition to his impressive resume on the small screen, Isiah Whitlock Jr. is a frequent collaborator of Oscar-winning filmmaker and actor Spike Lee, having appeared in six of his movies, namely 25th Hour, She Hate Me, Chi-Raq, BlacKkKlansman, Red Hook Summer and Da 5 Bloods.Whitlock Jr. recently appeared in Elizabeth Banks' 2023 horror comedy film Cocaine Bear. The actor will soon be heard as part of the voice cast (Bird King) in Pixar's upcoming sci-fi comedy film Hoppers and seen as Alexander Wilkins in Vicky Wight's drama film The Body Is Water.Isiah Whitlock Jr.’s commanding presence and unforgettable portrayal make him one of television’s most iconic actors and his unique talent and warm spirit will be deeply missed.For the latest scoops on your favorite TV shows and movies, follow SoapCentral.