Isiah Whitlock Jr., known for his roles in “The Wire,” “Veep” and several Spike Lee movies, has died, his manager confirmed to CBS News. He was 71. 

A cause of death was not immediately provided. 

His manager, Brian Liebman, described Whitlock in an Instagram post as a “brilliant actor and even better person.” 

“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,” Liebman wrote. “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.”

Born in Indiana in 1954, Whitlock attended Southwest Minnesota State University and joined the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco after graduating. His first movie appearance was in the 1981 TV movie version of “A Christmas Carol.”

He’s perhaps best known for his role as state Sen. R. Clayton “Clay” Davis on HBO’s “The Wire.” He appeared on all five seasons of the acclaimed crime drama. 

Whitlock was a recurring character in seasons two through four of the HBO comedy “Veep,” playing Defense Secretary George Maddox.

Whitlock was a frequent collaborator of Spike Lee and appeared in several movies, including “25th Hour,” “She Hate Me,” “Red Hook Summer,” “Chi-Raq,” “BlacKkKlansman” and “Da 5 Bloods.”

In a tribute posted to Instagram, Lee wrote, “Today I Learned Of The Passing Of My Dear Beloved Brother ISIAH WHITLOCK. GOD BLESS.”

Whitlock made several appearances in the sketch comedy series “Chappelle’s Show.” On the big screen, he also had roles in Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas,” as well as in “Pieces of April,” “Enchanted” and Pixar’s “Cars 3” and “Lightyear.” 

He voiced a character in Pixar’s upcoming animated sci-fi comedy “Hoppers,” slated for release in 2026.

A private memorial service was recently held to honour actor Peter Greene, bringing together close friends and loved ones to remember the late star in an intimate and emotional gathering. 

The service took place on Dec. 27 at St. Michael Church in Cranford, New Jersey, where roughly 35 to 40 people gathered to say goodbye to the actor best known for his role in The Mask.

Those in attendance included several of Greene’s longtime friends and collaborators, among them The Sopranos actor Federico Castelluccio, Vincent Young, Saul Stein, Garry Pastore, musician Skam Dust, and producer Noel Ashman. 

According to a source familiar with the event, the atmosphere was deeply emotional, with many attendees sharing personal memories and stories about Greene’s life and career.

Castelluccio, who worked with Greene on the 2019 film Exit 0, delivered a heartfelt tribute during the service. 

He described Greene as “one of the best character actors of his generation,” a moment that reportedly moved many in the room to tears.

“Everyone shared a story, and everyone broke down crying,” the source said. “People loved him like a brother.”

Greene, who was born in Montclair, New Jersey, was found dead in his Lower East Side apartment on Dec. 13 at the age of 60. 

His longtime manager, Gregg Edwards, previously said the actor was in good spirits just days before his passing. 

Close friend Skam Dust also shared that Greene had been making plans to celebrate New Year’s Eve, saying, “He was going to rent a truck limousine… He wasn’t suicidal.”

Producer Noel Ashman, who cast Greene in the upcoming film 3 Days Rising alongside Ice-T and Mickey Rourke, described him as “a once-in-a-lifetime friend” and said his passing was completely unexpected. 

“He was so talented and had so much more to give,” Ashman said.

Authorities have stated that no foul play is suspected, and the official cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner.

Mark Wright’s mother, Carol, has shared her role as a mother-in-law in a bombshell interview. 

The former TOWIE star and Fool Me Once actress, both 38, tied the knot in 2015 in a lavish ceremony at St Mary’s Church in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

During the latest episode of their family podcast Wright At Home, Carol spoke the heart about her relationship with Michelle.

Reading a letter sent in from a listener, her daughter Jess said: ‘Whenever my mother-in-law comes over she acts like I stole her son.’

Sharing her thoughts on the situation, Carol said: ‘It’s a hard one because everyone’s sons are like, you know, they’re your sons and… a woman comes along and they do take your son.

‘But I’m a bit different because I actually hold back because of that reason. ‘I always think that when the girl comes into our family it’s quite they feel a bit overpowering to so many of us, so I seem to be like I hold back a bit.’ 

At this point Jess also shared that she hated the narrative that her mum was this ‘evil mother-in-law’ because it is far from the truth.

‘It’s nothing like me, I’m totally the opposite,’ Carol explained before admitting that she would step in to ‘protect’ her son, if needed.

It comes after Mark and Michelle celebrated their first Christmas as a family of three with their daughter baby Palma.

The couple welcomed their first child together in March of this year.