Isiah Whitlock Jr. Explained

Isiah Whitlock Jr.
Birth Date:	13 September 1954
Birth Place:	South Bend, Indiana, U.S.
Education:	Southwest Minnesota State University (BA) American Conservatory Theater (MFA)
Occupation:	Actor
Years Active:	1981–present

Isiah Whitlock Jr. (born September 13, 1954) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as corrupt state senator Clay Davis on the HBO television series The Wire as well as being a frequent collaborator of Spike Lee.

He has also appeared in films including Goodfellas, Pieces of April, 1408, Enchanted, Cedar Rapids, Pete’s Dragon, Cars 3, The Old Man and the Gun, All Square, I Care a Lot, and Lightyear and television series including The Good Cop, Veep, Chappelle's Show, Your Honor, and several roles across installments of the Law & Order franchise.

Early life

Whitlock was born in South Bend, Indiana. He attended college at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minnesota, where he enrolled through a football scholarship and studied theater. Injuries led him to stop playing football and focus on acting. After graduating in 1976, he moved to San Francisco and joined the American Conservatory Theater.^[1]

Career

Whitlock is best known for his role on the HBO television series The Wire as corrupt state senator Clay Davis. He has also appeared in the Spike Lee films She Hate Me, 25th Hour, Red Hook Summer, Chi-Raq, BlacKkKlansman and Da 5 Bloods. In those projects, Whitlock established a catchphrase from his character's distinct pronunciation of the word "shit" ("sheeeeeeeee-it").^[2] Whitlock also made appearances on Chappelle's Show and has made several appearances as various characters on Law & Order. He appeared as Eugene, a supporting role, in the 2003 film Pieces of April. He had a bit part in Goodfellas as a doctor who gives Henry Hill Valium while attending to his brother. He also made an appearance in the film 1408, as the engineer of the Dolphin Hotel, as well as appearing in promotional spots for the Wii video game Punch-Out!! portraying the character Doc Louis. In 2007, he played Ethan Banks in Enchanted.

Whitlock played an insurance agent named Ronald Wilkes in the 2011 film Cedar Rapids. Wilkes is a self-described fan of The Wire and does an impersonation of character Omar Little. Whitlock has said that the references to the series were written in before he became involved in Cedar Rapids. Whitlock filmed a separate promotion for the film, where Wilkes is seen in an insurance office reading lines from The Wire.^[3] He recurred on the HBO comedy series Veep as General George Maddox. Whitlock has also made appearances on The Good Wife, Louie, Gotham, The Carmichael Show, and Elementary. He recently appeared as the sheriff in the 2016 remake of the 1977 film of Pete's Dragon.

SMSU now offers the Isiah Whitlock Jr. Endowed Scholarship.^[4] He was SMSU's commencement speaker in 1999 and guest artist for the school's celebration of Black History Month in 2007.^[1]

Capitalizing on his catch phrase "Sheeeeeeeee-it" and his public notoriety, Whitlock launched a successful Kickstarter Talking Bobblehead campaign.^[5] The campaign has raised over $100,000 from 1,828 backers.

Filmography

Film


scope=col	Year	scope=col	Title	scope=col	Role	scope=col class=unsortable	Notes
	scope=row		Fireman
	scope=row	Goodfellas	Doctor
	scope=row	Eddie	Rick
	scope=row	Everyone Says I Love You	Cop
	scope=row		Trooper
	scope=row		Rudy
	scope=row	Harlem Aria	Manny
	scope=row	Jump Tomorrow	George's Uncle
	scope=row	Driving Fish	Mason	Short film
	scope=row	25th Hour	Agent Flood
	scope=row	Pieces of April	Eugene
	scope=row	Bought & Sold	Mr. Stubbs
	scope=row	She Hate Me	Agent Amos Flood
	scope=row	Honey Trap	The Detective	Short film
	scope=row	Duane Hopwood	William
	scope=row	Stealing Martin Lane	Harold "Chopper" Jones
	scope=row	Kettle of Fish	Freddie
	scope=row	Beautiful Ohio	Mr. Lebreaux
	scope=row	A Nick in Time	Old Bob Delagard	Short film
	scope=row	1408	Hotel Engineer
	scope=row	The Man in My House	T.J.	Short film
	scope=row	Enchanted	Ethan Banks
	scope=row	Choke	Detective Palmer
	scope=row	Cadillac Records	Mississippi DJ
	scope=row	The Thing We Know	Keith	Short film
	scope=row	Brooklyn's Finest	Investigator #3
	scope=row	I Hate Valentine's Day	Drummer
	scope=row	Under New Management	Rev. A.L. Blunton
	scope=row	Speed Grieving	Dr. Holder	Short film
	scope=row	Twelve	Detective Dummont
	scope=row	Main Street	Mayor
	scope=row	Gun Hill Road	Officer Thompson
	scope=row	Cedar Rapids	Ronald Wilkes
	scope=row	Detachment	Mr. Mathias
	scope=row	Red Hook Summer	Detective Flood
	scope=row	Why Stop Now	Black
	scope=row	Thanks for Sharing	Charles
	scope=row	Not Fade Away	Landers
	scope=row	Newlyweeds	Philly
	scope=row	Europa Report	Dr. Tarik Pamuk
	scope=row	Home	Samuel
	scope=row	Jerome's Bouquet	Jack	Short film
	scope=row		Yates
	scope=row	23 Blast	Dr. Connelly
	scope=row	Chi-Raq	Bacchos
	scope=row	Pete's Dragon	Sheriff Gene Dentler
	scope=row	Person to Person	Buster
	scope=row	CHiPs	Peterson
	scope=row	Cars 3	River Scott (voice)
	scope=row	Sloan Hearts Neckface	Lester	Short film
	scope=row	BlacKkKlansman	Mr. Turrentine
	scope=row	All Square	Scotty
	scope=row		Detective Gene Dentler
	scope=row	Corporate Animals	Derek
	scope=row	Lost Holiday	Matthews
	scope=row	Lying and Stealing	Lyman Wilkers
	scope=row	Run with the Hunted	Lester
	scope=row	Seneca	Michael
	scope=row		Russ McAllen
	scope=row	Da 5 Bloods	Melvin
	scope=row	I Care a Lot	Judge Lomax
	scope=row	Lightyear	Commander Burnside (voice)
	scope=row	Cocaine Bear	Bob

Television


scope=col	Year	scope=col	Title	scope=col	Role	scope=col	Notes
	scope=row		Second Charitable Gentleman / Party Guest	Television movie
	scope=row	Cagney & Lacey	Man Getting a Cab	Episode: "The City is Burning"
	scope=row	Ocean	The Moose	Miniseries; 6 episodes
	scope=row	Alex Haley's Queen	Preacher	Miniseries; 1 episode
	scope=row	Law & Order	Anthony White	Episode: "Guardian"
	scope=row	Law & Order	Simon Brooks	Episode: "Trophy"
	scope=row	Law & Order	Fred Oates	Episode: "Slave"
	scope=row	New York Undercover	Chief Hardin	Episode: "Bad Blood"
	scope=row	Liberty! The American Revolution	Luke (Slave)	Miniseries; 6 episodes
	scope=row	Third Watch	Reggie Simmons	Episode: "Impulse"
	scope=row	Law & Order	Fred Oakes	Episode: "Loco Parentis"
	scope=row		Robbery Division Captain	Episode: "Limitations"
	scope=row	Law & Order	Capt. Navarro	Episode: "Standoff"
	scope=row	Wonderland	Reviewer	Episode: "20/20 Hundsight"; uncredited
	scope=row	Madigan Men	Airport Guard	Episode: "Pilot"
	scope=row		Detective	2 episodes
	scope=row		Todd Smythe	Episode: "Paranoia"
	scope=row	WW 3	Unknown	Television movie
	scope=row	Ed	Tim Unger	2 episodes
	scope=row	NYPD Blue	Anton Emery	Episode: "Death by Cycle"
-	scope=row		State Sen. R. Clayton "Clay" Davis	Main; 22 episodes
	scope=row	Chappelle's Show	Harold	Episode #1.8
	scope=row	Law & Order	Gordon Samuels	Episode: "Gunplay"
	scope=row		Abbott Truman	Episode: "Memories"
	scope=row	Slavery and the Making of America	Minister/Petitioner	Episode: "Liberty in the Air"
	scope=row		NTCC Representative	Episode: "Parts"
	scope=row	Chappelle's Show	Store Manager	Episode #3.2; Uncredited
	scope=row	New Amsterdam	Joe Williams	Episode: "Reclassified"
	scope=row	Human Giant	Casting Director	Episode: "She Be a Witch"
	scope=row		Captain Leslie Morgan	Episode: "The Tape Delay"
	scope=row	Meet the Browns	Sidney Graves	Episode: "Meet the Other Man"
	scope=row	Rubicon	Mr. Roy	Recurring; 6 episodes
	scope=row	Onion SportsDome	Wally Wright	2 episodes
	scope=row	Onion SportsDome	Isiah Whitlock Jr.	Episode #1.10
	scope=row	Chaos	Warren	Episode: "Defending Sophia"
	scope=row		CSU Detective	Episode: "To the Boy in the Blue Knit Cap"
	scope=row		Ira Protopapas	Episode: "Get a Room"
	scope=row	Smash	Ronal Strickland	2 episodes
-	scope=row		Captain Reece	3 episodes
	scope=row	Louie	Alphonse	2 episodes
	scope=row	Late Night with Jimmy Fallon	Trent	2 episodes
	scope=row	Lucky 7	Bob Harris	Main cast; 6 episodes
–	scope=row	Veep	George Maddox	Recurring; 7 episodes
	scope=row	Lucas Bros. Moving Co.	Mr. Dream (voice)	Episode: "Before & After Models"
	scope=row		Danny Moss	Episode: "Milton Bobbit (No. 135)"
	scope=row		Rev. Cheeks	Episode: "The Way Men Divide"
	scope=row	Gotham	Gerry Lang	Episode: "Rogues' Gallery"
	scope=row		Reverend Carlson	Episode: "Prayer"
	scope=row	Limitless	Lawrence Drake	Episode: "Headquarters!"
	scope=row	Charity Case	Ronald	Television movie
	scope=row	Lucifer	Carmen	Episode: "Wingman"
,	scope=row	Atlanta	Raleigh Marks	Episodes: "The Big Bang", "Light Skinned-ed"
	scope=row	Jay & Pluto	Therapist	Unknown episodes
2017	scope=row	Elementary	Jack Brunelle	Episode: "Over a Barrel"
2017	scope=row	Son of Zorn	Robert	Episode: "The Quest for Craig"
2017	scope=row	Survivor's Remorse	Samuel	4 episodes
2017	scope=row		Gus Redman / Gus Bradley	Recurring; 8 episodes
2017	scope=row	Thin Ice	Bill	Television movie
2017	scope=row	She's Gotta Have It	Dog #10	Episode: "#DaJumpoff (DOCTRINE)"
2017	scope=row	Kevin Can Wait	Jerry	Episode: "Kevin Moves Metal"
2018	scope=row	BoJack Horseman	C.E.O. (voice)	Episode: "Head in the Clouds"
2018	scope=row		Burl Loomis	10 episodes
2018	scope=row	Madam Secretary	Hervé Dupont	Episode: "The Courage to Continue"
2019	scope=row	FBI	Richard Talmage	Episode: "Partners in Crime"
2020	scope=row	Apple & Onion	Mayor Naise (voice)	Episode: "Election Day"
2020–2023	scope=row	Your Honor	Charlie Figaro	19 episodes
2021	scope=row	History of Swear Words	Himself	2 episodes
2022	scope=row		Reginald King	Episode: "Pilot"
2022	scope=row	Woke	Mr. Jackson	2 episodes
TBA	scope=row		Larry Dokes

Video games


scope=col	Year	scope=col	Title	scope=col	Voice role	scope=col class=unsortable	Description
	scope=row		The Local Population

External links

- - - Isiah Whitlock Jr. at the Internet Off-Broadway Database

Notes and References

Karin Elton, A perfect fit, Marshall Independent, February 11, 2011, accessed June 14, 2012.
Web site: The Wire Final Season: Week 10: How Sheee-it Started. Slate.com. Swansburg, John. March 12, 2008. November 2, 2009.
, Fox Searchlight official channel via YouTube.com, February 7, 2011.
http://www.smsufoundation.org/s/1158/interior.aspx?sid=1158&pgid=366&gid=1&cid=955&ecid=955&post_id=0 Isiah Whitlock Jr. Endowed Scholarship
Web site: Isiah Whitlock, Jr. Talking Bobblehead. Kickstarter. en-US. 2017-12-25.