Isiah Whitlock Jr., best known for his roles on ‘The Wire’, ‘Veep’, and in multiple Spike Lee films, has passed away at 71 after a brief illness.
He was celebrated for his memorable performances and iconic catchphrase “Sheeeeeit.” pic.twitter.com/6hgE6CIE87
— Complex Pop Culture (@ComplexPop) December 30, 2025
Isiah Whitlock Jr has died after a brief illness. He was 71.
Across many of his projects, he developed the catchphrase “sheeeeee-it,” an elongated pronunciation of the word “shit.” It started in “She Hate Me” and “25th Hour,” and then the writers of “The Wire” began incorporating it into the HBO series. Whitlock said he could be stopped on the street two to three times per day by fans asking him to say the catchphrase. In a meta turn, Whitlock got to play a man obsessed with “The Wire” in the 2011 comedy “Cedar Rapids.”
