Los Angeles: Isiah Whitlock Jr., the veteran character actor whose portrayal of the unscrupulous state senator Clay Davis on HBO’s "The Wire" made him a cultural icon, died Tuesday. He was 71.

His manager, Brian Liebman, announced the actor's passing in a social media tribute.

"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," Liebman wrote.

Whitlock’s performance in "The Wire", David Simon’s acclaimed exploration of Baltimore’s drug trade and political machinery, turned his character’s distinctive, multi-syllabic delivery of a profanity, "sheeeee-it," into an enduring catchphrase. Simon honoured the actor on Tuesday by sharing a photo of a smiling Whitlock on social media.

Over a career that spanned more than 40 years and 125 credits, Whitlock became a frequent collaborator of Academy Award-winning director Spike Lee. He appeared in many of the filmmaker’s most prominent works, including "25th Hour," "She Hate Me," "Red Hook Summer," "Chi-Raq," "BlacKkKlansman," and "Da 5 Bloods."

Lee posted an image of himself and Whitlock holding hands, referring to the actor as "My Dear Beloved Brother."

Whitlock was equally adept at comedy, notably playing the U.S. Secretary of Defence in the Washington satire "Veep." His early filmography included a role as a physician in Martin Scorsese’s "Goodfellas," and his resonant baritone voice was featured in Pixar animated films such as "Cars 3" and "Lightyear."

Born in Indiana to a father who worked in a steel mill, Whitlock was one of 10 children. He discovered his passion for performance at Southwest State University before refining his craft at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco.

With inputs from AFP