James Ransone, the actor best known for his unforgettable portrayal of the troubled dockworker Ziggy Sobotka in the acclaimed HBO series The Wire, has died by suicide. He was 46.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner confirmed that Ransone died on Friday, with the cause listed as hanging. The place of death was recorded as a shed, and his body has been released to his family.
Ransone, a married father of two, leaves behind his wife Jamie McPhee, who has shared a fundraiser for the National Alliance on Mental Illness in the wake of his death.
His breakout role came in the second season of The Wire in 2003, where he appeared in 12 episodes as the volatile son of union leader Frank Sobotka. The performance earned widespread praise for its raw intensity.
Ransone went on to recur in other HBO projects including Generation Kill and Treme, and made his final television appearance in a 2025 episode of Poker Face.
On film, he featured in horror titles such as Sinister (2012), its sequel Sinister 2 (2015), It Chapter Two (2019) – in which he played the adult Eddie Kaspbrak – The Black Phone (2021) and its sequel.
Other notable credits include Tangerine (2015) and Mr Right (2015).
In 2021, Ransone publicly disclosed that he had been sexually abused as a child by a former tutor in Maryland. He detailed the trauma in a social media post, explaining how it contributed to years of addiction before he achieved sobriety in 2006. He reported the allegations to police, though no charges were brought.
Tributes have poured in from fans and colleagues, many highlighting his courageous openness about mental health and personal struggles.
Representatives for Ransone and The Wire creator David Simon have been approached for comment.
If you are affected by issues raised in this article, support is available from organisations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
