James Ransone, ‘The Wire’ Star, Dies at 46; Suicide Suspected

Actor James Ransone, who starred in The Black Phone and The Wire, reportedly killed himself, leaving his wife and two children behind.

RIP Legend: According to several reports, including TMZ, actor James Ransone, best known for playing Ziggy Sobotka in season two of HBO's The Wire, passed away at the age of 46. Prom Night, Sinister, Sinister 2, Tangerine, Mr. Right, It Chapter Two, The Black Phone, and Black Phone 2 were among his cinematic credits.

James Ransone killed himself, according to the New York Post, which referenced records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. According to the Post, Ransone's wife, Jamie McPhee, posted a fundraiser for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) on social media around the time of his death. Ransone is survived by his wife and two children.

The Baltimore Sun reports that Ransone disclosed in 2021 that he had been sexually assaulted by a former tutor working for Maryland's public education institutions. Ransone later stated on Instagram that the assault led to a "lifetime of shame and embarrassment" and was a factor in his struggles with substance misuse.

He said that the experience contributed to his addiction to heroin and alcohol, as well as his repeated suicide attempts. According to James Ransone, he stopped drinking in 2006. Page Six claims that Ransone told police about the abuse in 2020, but they decided not to file charges.

Even though Ransone's acting career was successful at first, he struggled financially. According to Soap Central, Ransone owed $30,000 by the time he was 27.

As a dockworker in The Wire, which ran from 2002 to 2008, Ransone became well-known. In 2003, he made 12 appearances as Chris Bauer's disturbed son of Frank Sobotka. Later on, he made appearances in Treme and Generation Kill, among other HBO shows. In addition, Ransone starred in five episodes of Seal Team and Bosch on Amazon Prime Video.