Isiah Whitlock Jr dead: The Wire and The Good Cop star dies aged 71

Isiah Whitlock Jr, who who was in The Wire for six years and has appeared in various films including Goodfellas and Pieces of April, lost his battle with a short illness in New York City

The Wire star Isiah Whitlock Jr has died aged 71 after a short illness.

The actor, who was also in various including Goodfellas, I Care a Lot and Pieces of April, passed away on Tuesday in New York City. He was best known for his iconic role as corrupt senator Clay Davis on the hit 2000s crime show The Wire, which won a catalogue of awards. The Wire was nominated for the BAFTA for the Best International Show in 2009, narrowly losing out to Mad Men.

Whitlock Jr, born in South Bend, Indiana, was in The Wire for six years. Since this stint, he has appeared in thriller TV series Rubicon, comedy drama The Good Cop and Netflix series The Residence among other shows.

The star's manager, Brian Liebman, told Deadline! Whitlock Jr died on Tuesday following the short illness. He described him as "a brilliant actor and even better person". Liebman continued: "He was loved by all who had the pleasure to work with or know him. He will be greatly missed." He led tributes to the Hollywood icon, whose distinguished career spanned more than 40 years.

Whitlock Jr's character in The Wire, the shady senator, was known for his catchphrase, "she*******t". Clay Davis had a reputation for pocketing bribes in the crime drama, but he remained protected by other ranking politicians and Baltimore Police Commissioner Ervin Burrell.

The versatile actor also had recurring roles on shows, including Veep, Your Honor, and Atlanta. He also collaborated renowned filmmaker Spike Lee for several projects, such as 25th hour, BlacKkKlansman, Da 5 Blodds, and Chi-Raq. The 2002 movie 25th hour is what introduced Whitlock Jr's famous "sh*******t," which was just his way of saying the curse word s**t.

Almost a decade ago, the entertainer revealed during an interview in 2008 that he just imitated his uncle Leon when it came to saying the s-word on camera.

Whitlock Jr started his acting career by joining San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater after graduating from college. His first notable screen role was a 1987 guest shot on CBS’ Cagney & Lacey. He worked steadily in television for the past three and a half decades doing dozens of guest appearances including the Law & Order franchise, with multiple episodes each on the mothership series, Special Victims Unit and Criminal Intent.

The star was most recently was seen in Elizabeth Banks’ black comedy Cocaine Bear and soon will be heard as part of the voice cast of the Pixar/Disney animated feature Hoppers.