Character Actor Isiah Whitlock Died at the Age of 71 After a "Short Illness"

For every A-list star who lights up TV and movie screens, there are a dozen character actors whose job is to populate the world and make the stories we love feel real and lived in. Isiah Whitlock was one such character actor, and his work on shows like The Wire and Veep left an indelible mark on fans who watched him for years.

Following the news of Isiah's death at the age of 71, many wanted to better understand what his cause of death was. Here's what we know.

Isiah Whitlock's exact cause of death was not disclosed, but his manager Brian Liebman suggested that he died following a "short illness." The nature of that illness is not widely known, and we don't know whether Isiah was dealing with any long-running health problems in the years leading up to his death.

Although Brian disclosed his client's death, he also paid tribute to Isiah's remarkable career.

"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," he wrote.

Isiah was perhaps best known for his performance on The Wire, where he played a corrupt Baltimore politician who seemed capable of talking his way out of anything.

It was on that show that he developed a pronunciation that would define his public persona, a unique, elongated way of saying the word "s--t" that he would recreate in other parts he played, including his role in 2020's Da 5 Bloods.

In addition to his roles in those two projects, Isiah also appeared in Goodfellas and Veep. Over his decades as a professional actor, he was rarely the lead, but proved to be a remarkably versatile supporting actor.

In addition to Da 5 Bloods, Isiah also appeared in five other Spike Lee films, including 25th Hour, Chi-Raq, and BlackKkKlansmen.

"Today I Learned Of The Passing Of My Dear Beloved Brother ISIAH WHITLOCK. GOD BLESS," Spike wrote on Instagram before sharing a clip from 25th Hour of one of his favorite scenes working with Isiah.

Few actors of any stripe have the kind of legacy that Isiah will, not just because of the great work he did in memorable movies, but because of his iconic line delivery. In a 2008 interview with Hobo Trash Can, Isiah said that his pronunciation of the word was inspired by his Uncle Lee.

"You know, I was in, I think, Grand Central Station, and far away I heard someone say it, and they’d be kind of smiling. I’m glad people enjoy it. There could be worse things, I guess," he said. For years to come, people will associate that pronunciation with Isiah, and that's not nothing.