Isiah Whitlock Jr.
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Template:Use mdy dates Script error: No such module "infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for clobbered parameters".Template:Wikidata image 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 on September 13, 1954, 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.[1] After graduating in 1976, he moved to San Francisco and joined the American Conservatory Theater.[2]
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").[3]Script error: No such module "Unsubst". 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.[4] Whitlock filmed a separate promotion for the film, where Wilkes is seen in an insurance office reading lines from The Wire.[5] 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.[1] He was SMSU's commencement speaker in 1999 and guest artist for the school's celebration of Black History Month in 2007.[2]
Capitalizing on his catch phrase "Sheeeeeeeee-it" and his public notoriety, Whitlock launched a successful Kickstarter Talking Bobblehead campaign.[6] The campaign has raised over $100,000 from 1,828 backers.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Dts | Gremlins 2: The New Batch | Fireman | |
| Goodfellas | Doctor | ||
| Template:Dts | Eddie | Rick | |
| Everyone Says I Love You | Cop | ||
| Template:Dts | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Trooper | |
| Template:Dts | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Rudy | |
| Harlem Aria | Manny | ||
| Template:Dts | Jump Tomorrow | George's Uncle | |
| Template:Dts | Driving Fish | Mason | Short film |
| 25th Hour | Agent Flood | ||
| Template:Dts | Pieces of April | Eugene | |
| Bought & Sold | Mr. Stubbs | ||
| Template:Dts | She Hate Me | Agent Amos Flood | |
| Template:Dts | Honey Trap | The Detective | Short film |
| Duane Hopwood | William | ||
| Stealing Martin Lane | Harold "Chopper" Jones | ||
| Kettle of Fish | Freddie | ||
| Template:Dts | Beautiful Ohio | Mr. Lebreaux | |
| Template:Dts | A Nick in Time | Old Bob Delagard | Short film |
| 1408 | Hotel Engineer | ||
| The Man in My House | T.J. | Short film | |
| Enchanted | Ethan Banks | ||
| Template:Dts | Choke | Detective Palmer | |
| Cadillac Records | Mississippi DJ | ||
| The Thing We Know | Keith | Short film | |
| Template:Dts | Brooklyn's Finest | Investigator #3 | |
| I Hate Valentine's Day | Drummer | ||
| Under New Management | Rev. A.L. Blunton | ||
| Speed Grieving | Dr. Holder | Short film | |
| Template:Dts | Twelve | Detective Dummont | |
| Main Street | Mayor | ||
| Template:Dts | Gun Hill Road | Officer Thompson | |
| Cedar Rapids | Ronald Wilkes | ||
| Detachment | Mr. Mathias | ||
| Template:Dts | Red Hook Summer | Detective Flood | |
| Why Stop Now | Black | ||
| Thanks for Sharing | Charles | ||
| Not Fade Away | Landers | ||
| Template:Dts | Newlyweeds | Philly | |
| Europa Report | Dr. Tarik Pamuk | ||
| Home | Samuel | ||
| Jerome's Bouquet | Jack | Short film | |
| Template:Dts | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Yates | |
| 23 Blast | Dr. Connelly | ||
| Template:Dts | Chi-Raq | Bacchos | |
| Template:Dts | Pete's Dragon | Sheriff Gene Dentler | |
| Template:Dts | Person to Person | Buster | |
| CHiPs | Peterson | ||
| Cars 3 | River Scott (voice) | ||
| Sloan Hearts Neckface | Lester | Short film | |
| Template:Dts | BlacKkKlansman | Mr. Turrentine | |
| All Square | Scotty | ||
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | Detective Gene Dentler | ||
| Template:Dts | Corporate Animals | Derek | |
| Lost Holiday | Matthews | ||
| Lying and Stealing | Lyman Wilkers | ||
| Run with the Hunted | Lester | ||
| Seneca | Michael | ||
| Template:Dts | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Russ McAllen | |
| Da 5 Bloods | Melvin | ||
| I Care a Lot | Judge Lomax | ||
| Template:Dts | Lightyear | Commander Burnside (voice) | |
| Template:Dts | Cocaine Bear | Bob |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Dts | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Second Charitable Gentleman / Party Guest | Television movie |
| Template:Dts | Cagney & Lacey | Man Getting a Cab | Episode: "The City is Burning" |
| Ocean | The Moose | Miniseries; 6 episodes | |
| Template:Dts | Alex Haley's Queen | Preacher | Miniseries; 1 episode |
| Template:Dts-2004 | Law & Order | Various | 5 episodes |
| Template:Dts | New York Undercover | Chief Hardin | Episode: "Bad Blood" |
| Template:Dts | Liberty! The American Revolution | Luke (Slave) | Miniseries; 6 episodes |
| Template:Dts | Third Watch | Reggie Simmons | Episode: "Impulse" |
| Template:Dts-2015 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Various | 6 episodes |
| Template:Dts | Wonderland | Reviewer | Episode: "20/20 Hundsight"; uncredited |
| Madigan Men | Airport Guard | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| Template:Dts-2011 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Detective | 3 episodes |
| Template:Dts | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Todd Smythe | Episode: "Paranoia" |
| WW 3 | Unknown | Television movie | |
| Ed | Tim Unger | 2 episodes | |
| Template:Dts | NYPD Blue | Anton Emery | Episode: "Death by Cycle" |
| Template:Dts-Template:Dts | Script error: No such module "Sort". | State Sen. R. Clayton "Clay" Davis | Main; 22 episodes |
| Template:Dts | Chappelle's Show | Harold | Episode #1.8 |
| Template:Dts | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Abbott Truman | Episode: "Memories" |
| Template:Dts | Slavery and the Making of America | Minister/Petitioner | Episode: "Liberty in the Air" |
| Template:Dts | Chappelle's Show | Store Manager | Episode #3.2; Uncredited |
| Template:Dts | New Amsterdam | Joe Williams | Episode: "Reclassified" |
| Human Giant | Casting Director | Episode: "She Be a Witch" | |
| Template:Dts | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Captain Leslie Morgan | Episode: "The Tape Delay" |
| Template:Dts | Meet the Browns | Sidney Graves | Episode: "Meet the Other Man" |
| Rubicon | Mr. Roy | Recurring; 6 episodes | |
| Template:Dts | Onion SportsDome | Wally Wright/Isiah Whitlock Jr. | 3 episodes |
| Chaos | Warren | Episode: "Defending Sophia" | |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | Ira Protopapas | Episode: "Get a Room" | |
| Template:Dts | Smash | Ronal Strickland | 2 episodes |
| Template:Dts-Template:Dts | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Captain Reece | 3 episodes |
| Template:Dts | Louie | Alphonse | 2 episodes |
| Late Night with Jimmy Fallon | Trent | ||
| Lucky 7 | Bob Harris | Main cast; 6 episodes | |
| Template:Dts-Template:Dts | Veep | George Maddox | Recurring; 7 episodes |
| Template:Dts | Lucas Bros. Moving Co. | Mr. Dream (voice) | Episode: "Before & After Models" |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | Danny Moss | Episode: "Milton Bobbit (No. 135)" | |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | Rev. Cheeks | Episode: "The Way Men Divide" | |
| Template:Dts | Gotham | Gerry Lang | Episode: "Rogues' Gallery" |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | Reverend Carlson | Episode: "Prayer" | |
| Limitless | Lawrence Drake | Episode: "Headquarters!" | |
| Template:Dts | Charity Case | Ronald | Television movie |
| Lucifer | Carmen | Episode: "Wingman" | |
| Template:Dts-Template:Dts | Atlanta | Raleigh Marks | Episodes: "The Big Bang", "Light Skinned-ed" |
| Template:Dts | Jay & Pluto | Therapist | Unknown episodes |
| Template:Dts | Elementary | Jack Brunelle | Episode: "Over a Barrel" |
| Son of Zorn | Robert | Episode: "The Quest for Craig" | |
| Survivor's Remorse | Samuel | 4 episodes | |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | Gus Redman / Gus Bradley | Recurring; 8 episodes | |
| Thin Ice | Bill | Television movie | |
| She's Gotta Have It | Dog #10 | Episode: "#DaJumpoff (DOCTRINE)" | |
| Kevin Can Wait | Jerry | Episode: "Kevin Moves Metal" | |
| Template:Dts | BoJack Horseman | C.E.O. (voice) | Episode: "Head in the Clouds" |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | Burl Loomis | 10 episodes | |
| Madam Secretary | Hervé Dupont | Episode: "The Courage to Continue" | |
| Template:Dts | FBI | Richard Talmage | Episode: "Partners in Crime" |
| Template:Dts | Apple & Onion | Mayor Naise (voice) | Episode: "Election Day" |
| Template:Dts-Template:Dts | Your Honor | Charlie Figaro | 19 episodes |
| Template:Dts | History of Swear Words | Himself | 2 episodes |
| Template:Dts | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Reginald King | Episode: "Pilot" |
| Woke | Mr. Jackson | 2 episodes | |
| Template:Dts | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Larry Dokes |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Dts | Script error: No such module "Sort". | The Local Population | Voice role |
References
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- ↑ a b Isiah Whitlock Jr. Endowed Scholarship Template:Webarchive, Southwest Minnesota State University Foundation, accessed June 14, 2012.
- ↑ a b Karin Elton, A perfect fit, Marshall Independent, February 11, 2011, accessed June 14, 2012.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Template:Trim Template:Replace on YouTubeScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., Fox Searchlight official channel via YouTube.com, February 7, 2011.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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External links
- Template:Official
- Template:Trim/ Template:PAGENAMEBASE at IMDbTemplate:EditAtWikidataScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Template:First word Template:PAGENAMEBASE at the Internet Broadway DatabaseTemplate:EditAtWikidataTemplate:WikidataCheck
- Isiah Whitlock Jr. at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Pages with script errors
- IBDB name template using Wikidata
- 1954 births
- American male film actors
- American male stage actors
- American male television actors
- American male voice actors
- Living people
- Actors from South Bend, Indiana
- Southwest Minnesota State University alumni
- Male actors from Indiana
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- 20th-century African-American male actors
- 21st-century African-American male actors