James Ransone

Early life and education

James Finley Ransone III was born on June 2, 1979, in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Joyce (née Peterson) and James Finley Ransone II, a Vietnam War veteran. He was educated at the George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology in Towson, Maryland, and attended the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan for one year, before dropping out. After working as a party photographer for Patrick McMullan, at age 19, for a brief period of time, he started working in art films.

Career

In 2002, Ransone co-starred in the Larry Clark drama film Ken Park as Tate. In 2003, he appeared in 12 episodes of The Wire, as Ziggy Sobotka. He had a supporting role in Spike Lee's 2006 heist movie Inside Man as bank robber, Steve-O. He starred in the 2008 miniseries Generation Kill as Cpl. Josh Ray Person. In 2010, he was cast in a recurring role in the HBO comedy series How to Make It in America, and the following year, appeared in a recurring role in the HBO drama series Treme. In 2012, he starred in the drama film Starlet. The following year, he starred in the AMC drama series Low Winter Sun as Damon Callis.

Ransone then appeared in the 2012 horror film Sinister in the supporting role of Deputy So-and-So. In June 2014, he joined the cast of the Western film In a Valley of Violence. Also in 2014, he starred in Small Engine Repair off-Broadway. In 2015, he had a supporting role in the comedy-drama film Tangerine. Following the success of Sinister, Ransone reprised his role in the 2015 sequel Sinister 2, this time as the film's main character. In 2016, he appeared in Season 2 of the drama series Bosch as Eddie Arceneaux.

In 2019, Ransone portrayed the adult Eddie Kaspbrak in the horror film It Chapter Two, sharing the role with Jack Dylan Grazer, who played the younger version.

Personal life and death

By the age of 27, Ransone had developed a heroin addiction and a debt of $30,000, but became sober shortly after, several months before filming Generation Kill., as shared in a 2016 profile with the Interview Magazine.

In May 2021, Ransone wrote on his Instagram account that he was sexually abused for around six months by his math tutor in 1992, and that this was a factor in the alcohol and heroin addictions he later struggled with. He further described how the abuse led to a "lifetime of shame and embarrassment". He reported his allegations to the Baltimore County police in March 2020, but they declined to pursue the charges after an investigation. The Baltimore County School System was informed of the allegations, according to police; school officials acknowledged having been notified of a "concern" but declined to specify what actions had been taken.

Ransone was married to Jamie McPhee and had two children. On December 19, 2025, Ransone was found dead in a shed on his property, the Los Angeles Police Department investigators confirmed that no foul play was involved in his death, and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Ransone died by suicide via hanging at the age of 46.

Following his death, his wife shared a fundraiser for the National Alliance on Mental Illness on social media. Newsweek honoured him a "vocal advocate for sexual abuse survivors."

Filmography

Film

Television

Theater

References

References

1. (December 23, 2025). "Cat Power pays emotional tribute to James 'PJ' Ransone: "The young man who taught me how to say I love you"". NME.
2. (2009). "The Wire: Truth Be Told". [[Canongate Books]].
3. Sapienza, Ethan. (October 19, 2016). "Baltimore's Son".
4. Gilbey, Ryan. (December 24, 2025). "James Ransone obituary". The Guardian.
5. Barshad, Amos. (July 14, 2015). "From Ziggy to Stardust: How James Ransone Shed His Iconic 'Wire' Character and Broke Out".
6. McCarthy, Todd. (September 5, 2002). "Review: 'Ken Park'".
7. Kroll, Justin. (November 17, 2010). "Ransone answers 'Treme's' siren call".
8. DeFore, John. (March 17, 2012). "Starlet: SXSW Review".
9. Ausiello, Michael. (August 14, 2012). "Pilot Scoop: Jericho's Lennie James Joins AMC Drama Pilot Low Winter Sun".
10. Yamato, Jen. (June 3, 2014). "James Ransone Joins Blumhouse Western 'In A Valley Of Violence'".
11. Yamato, Jen. (June 19, 2014). "'Starlet's Sean Baker Sets 'Tangerine' With The Duplass Brothers Exec Producing".
12. Yamato, Jen. (August 13, 2014). "'Sinister 2' Sets Shannyn Sossamon & James Ransone As Leads".
13. Phillipp, Charlotte. (December 21, 2025). "James Ransone, Actor Known for 'The Wire,' Dead by Suicide at 46".
14. Ransone, James. (May 17, 2021). "as long as we are airing out dirty laundry (sorry I have to do this here)...".
15. Mclonsh, Steven. (December 22, 2025). "The Wire actor James Ransone dies aged 46".
16. DeVille, Taylor. (May 27, 2021). "'The Wire' actor says a Baltimore County educator sexually abused him 29 years ago, and faults the school system's response to his allegations".
17. (December 22, 2025). "James Ransone's Wife Breaks Silence After Actor's Apparent Suicide".
18. Holaday, Carsen. (December 21, 2025). "Actor who starred in hit TV series and horror films dead at age 46". The Independent.
19. Adeosun, Adeola. (December 21, 2025). "'The Wire' Actor James Ransone Dies by Suicide at 46: What We Know". [[Newsweek]].
20. (December 21, 2025). "James Ransone, US actor known for The Wire, dies aged 46". [[The Guardian]].
21. Kaufman, Anna. "'The Wire' actor James Ransone's cause of death released".
22. Thakkar, Maitreyee. (2025-12-22). "How did James Ransone die and the issues the actor faced earlier in his career". The Economic Times.
23. Thomas, Carly. (December 21, 2025). "James Ransone, 'The Wire' and 'It: Chapter Two' Actor, Dies at 46". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
24. Garner, Glenn. (December 21, 2025). "James Ransone Dies: 'IT Chapter Two' & 'The Wire' Actor Was 46". [[Deadline Hollywood.
25. (March 8, 2018). "'Write When You Get Work' Clip: Emily Mortimer Cries Frantic Tears In Stacy Cochran SXSW Drama".
26. Seigh, Steve. (December 21, 2025). "James Ransone: IT: Chapter Two & The Black Phone actor dies at 46".
27. (August 4, 2020). "Review: WHAT WE FOUND Gets Lost in Cliches and Predictability".
28. Todisco, Eric. (December 21, 2025). "James Ransone, 'The Wire' actor, dead by suicide at 46". [[New York Post]].
29. "James Ransone: Credits".
30. Dunn, Jack. (December 21, 2025). "James Ransone, Who Played Ziggy Sobotka on 'The Wire,' Dies at 46". Variety.
31. Lang, Brent. (December 21, 2025). "'Small Engine Repair' Star on the Dark Side of Social Media: 'It's Just Hate Everywhere'". Yahoo! Entertainment.