Isiah Whitlock, Jr. (September 13, 1954 – December 30, 2025) was an American actor. He is most famous for his role on the HBO television series, The Wire as corrupt state senator Clay Davis. In 2011, Whitlock played an insurance agent named Ronald Wilkes in the 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. He is also notable for appearing in Spike Lee films She Hate Me and 25th Hour as Agent Amos Flood. In all three projects, Whitlock established a catchphrase from his characters' distinct pronunciation of the word "shit" ("sheee-it"). He appeared as Eugine, a supporting role, in the 2003 film Pieces of April. He had a bit part in Goodfellas as a doctor who gives Henry Hill a Valium while attending to his brother. In 2007, he played Ethan Banks in Enchanted. Whitlock made appearances on Chappelle's Show and played various characters on Law & Order and its' spinoff, Law & Order: SVU. He also appeared in promotional spots for the Wii video game Punch-Out!! portraying the character Doc Louis.

Filmography

• 2026Hoppers — Bird King (voice)
• The Residence — Larry Dokes
• 2023Cocaine Bear — Bob
• 2022Lightyear — Commander Burnside (voice)
• 2022Triggered — Ohio
• 2021I Care a Lot — Judge Lomax
• 2020Da 5 Bloods — Melvin
• 2020Sloan Hearts Neckface — Lester
• 2020The Lost Husband — Russ McAllen
• Woke — Mr. Jackson
• Your Honor — Charlie Figaro
• 2019Corporate Animals — Derek
• 2019Lost Holiday — Officer Matthews
• 2019Lying and Stealing — Lyman
• 2019Run with the Hunted — Lester
• 2019Seneca — Michael
• 2018All Square — Scotty
• Apple & Onion — Mayor Naise (voice)
• 2018BlacKkKlansman — Mr. Turrentine
• FBI — Richard Talmage
• The Good Cop — Burl Loomis
• 2018The Old Man & the Gun — Detective Gene Dentler
• 2017CHiPs — Peterson
• 2017Cars 3 — River Scott (voice)
• 2017Person to Person — Buster
• She's Gotta Have It — Dog #10
• The Mist — Gus Bradley
• Atlanta — Raleigh Marks
• Lucifer — Carmen
• 2016Pete's Dragon — Sheriff Gene Dentler
• 2015Chi-Raq — Bacchos
• The Carmichael Show — Reverend Carlson
• 201423 Blast — Dr. Connelly
• BoJack Horseman — C.E.O. (voice)
• Gotham — Gerry Lang
• 2014The Angriest Man in Brooklyn — Yates
• 2013Europa Report — Dr. Pamuk
• 2013Home — Samuel
• 2013Jerome's Bouquet — Jack
• Lucas Bros. Moving Co. — Mr. Dream
• Lucky 7 — Bob Harris
• 2013Newlyweeds — Philly
• 2013Thanks for Sharing — Charles
• The Blacklist — Danny
• Elementary — Jack Brunelle
• 2012Not Fade Away — Landers
• 2012Red Hook Summer — Detective Flood
• Smash — Ronald Strickland
• Veep — George Maddox
• 2012Why Stop Now? — Black
• 2011Cedar Rapids — Ronald Wilkes
• 2011Detachment — Mr. Mathias
• 2011Gun Hill Road — Officer Thompson
• 2010Brooklyn's Finest — Investigator #3 (as Isiah Whitlock)
• 2010Main Street — Mayor
• 2010Twelve — Detective Dumont
• 2009I Hate Valentine's Day — Drummer
• The Good Wife — Ira Protopapas
• The Unusuals
• 2009Under New Management — Rev. A.L. Blunton
• 2008Cadillac Records — Mississippi DJ
• 2008Choke — Detective Palmer
• New Amsterdam — Joe Williams
• 20071408 — Hotel Engineer
• 2007Enchanted — Ethan Banks
• 2006Beautiful Ohio — Mr. Lebreaux
• 2006Kettle of Fish — Freddie
• 2005Duane Hopwood — William
• 2005Stealing Martin Lane — Chopper
• 2004A Jersey Tale — Mr. Stubbs
• 2004She Hate Me — Amos Flood
• The Jury
• 2003Pieces of April — Eugene
• 200225th Hour — Agent Flood
• The Wire — Clay Davis
• 2001Jump Tomorrow — George's Uncle
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent — Crime Scene Detective
• 2001WW3
• Ed — Tim Unger
• Madigan Men
• Wonderland — Dr. Mohyuddin
• 1999A Fish in the Bathtub — Rudy
• 1999Harlem Aria — Manny
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Robbery Division Captain, Todd Smythe, Captain Reece, NTCC Representative
• Third Watch — Reggie Simmons
• Liberty! — Luke - Slave
• 1997The Spanish Prisoner — Trooper
• 1996Eddie — Rick
• 1996Everyone Says I Love You — Cop
• NYPD Blue — Anton Emery
• 1990GoodFellas — Doctor
• 1990Gremlins 2: The New Batch — Fireman
• Law & Order — Gordon Samuels, Antony White, Simon Brooks, Fred Oakes, Captain Navarro
• Oceano — The Moose
• 1981A Christmas Carol — Second Charitable Gentleman / Party Guest
• The Body Is Water — Alexander Wilkins

Appearances as themselves (2)

• History of Swear Words — Self
• 2007The Wire Odyssey — Self