James Ransone, The Wire and It Chapter Two Actor, Dead at 46

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James Ransone, known for his role as Ziggy Sobotka in the television series The Wire, has passed away at the age of 46. Authorities in Los Angeles have confirmed his death was a suicide.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1979, James Ransone credits acting with turning his life around. He discovered his passion for it in high school, telling Interview magazine that attending arts school was a lifesaver. He began his film career in 2002 with a role in Larry Clark’s Ken Park, and the following year, he joined the cast of The Wire, where he played Jimmy Sobotka, the son of a union leader named Frank Sobotka.

I’ve been a fan of James Ransone for a while, and it’s amazing to see how far he’s come. He’s been really open about struggling with addiction in his mid-20s, and he got sober back in 2007. He’s said that waking up at 27 after five years of heroin use was a huge turning point – he realized he wanted to really focus on acting. Just a few months later, he was already landing a role in Generation Kill, filming in Africa with Alexander Skarsgård! More recently, I loved him as the adult Eddie Kaspbrak in IT: Chapter Two – Jack Dylan Grazer played the younger version, and they had great chemistry. He’s been consistently working on some really cool projects too, like Sinister, Bosch, SEAL Team, and even Sean Baker’s Tangerine. It’s inspiring to see someone overcome those challenges and build such a solid career.

Spike Lee honored Ransone with a post on Instagram, writing, “Rest In Peace to my dear brother. We worked together on RED HOOK SUMMER and INSIDE MAN.” François Arnaud from Heated Rivalry also shared a tribute on Instagram, describing Ransone as an actor he consistently admired and found inspiring. Ransone is survived by his wife, Jamie McPhee, and their two children.

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2025-12-22 04:56