James Ransone, the actor known for his roles in The Wire and Generation Kill, has died at age 46.
He died Friday by suicide, according to the Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Office. He was found by police at his home.
Ransone starred in his breakout role as hotheaded dock worker Ziggy Sobotka in season two of HBO’s hit show The Wire in 2003. Five years later, he appeared in the miniseries Generation Kill as real-life Marine Cpl. Josh Ray Person.
The Baltimore-born actor was known for his performances in horror movies, including Sinister, Sinister 2, In a Valley of Violence, Black Phone, and Black Phone 2, which was his final project.
In 2019, he starred as adult Eddie Kaspbrak in It Chapter Two alongside co-stars Bill Hader, Jessica Chastain, and James McAvoy. His TV credits include Poker Face, SEAL Team, and 50 States of Fright, while he was also known for movies like Ken Park and Tangerine.
He is survived by his wife and two young children.
Writing on his personal website, Ransone said of fatherhood before his death: “Fatherhood cracked me wide open. It made me see myself with a level of honesty I’d been avoiding. It made me want to become someone my child could look up to. And with that came shame—shame I didn’t even know was still living in me.”
Ransone previously opened up about mental health struggles in a 2016 conversation with Interview magazine about his heroin addiction, which he said he kicked before filming Generation Kill.
“I woke up at 27 after being on heroin for five years. It was like I sobered up and I realized, ‘My job is being an actor. This is crazy!’” he said at the time.
The actor also spoke publicly in 2021 about having been sexually abused as a child by one of his teachers. He shared the allegations on his social media accounts after the Baltimore County police conducted an investigation and declined to pursue charges against the teacher.
Tributes to Ransone poured out on social media Sunday following the news of his death, with The Wire creator David Simon sharing a picture of the late actor with no caption on Bluesky.
Heated Rivalry actor Francois Arnaud remembered the actor on his Instagram Story as a “unique actor that I was continuously impressed and inspired by.”
One fan wrote on X: “Rest in Peace James Ransone. You portrayed Eddie Kaspbrak so well. A character so loved and important in my childhood. You will always be EDDIE. Rest in eternal peace.”
Another added, “Rest in peace James Ransone, you were an absolute horror legend and delivered so many great characters.”
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. In the UK, people having mental health crises can contact the Samaritans at 116 123 or jo@samaritans.org
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