James Ransone, a personality actor who performed an impulsive, drug-dealing dockworker within the iconic HBO sequence “The Wire” and later appeared in horror movies “Sinister” and “It: Chapter Two,” died in Los Angeles on Friday. He was 46.
In accordance with the L.A. County health worker’s workplace, Ransone died by suicide.
A local of Maryland, Ransone studied theater on the Carver Middle for Arts and Know-how within the Baltimore County neighborhood of Towson, earlier than breaking into tv a number of years later.
Ransone appeared in a number of distinguished horror movies. He portrayed Max in “The Black Cellphone,” a movie a couple of teen boy who’s kidnapped by a serial killer. The film was primarily based on a brief story written by Joe Hill — Stephen King’s son — and starred Ethan Hawke. Ransone reprised his function within the sequel, “Black Cellphone II.”
Ransone appeared in one other horror movie with Hawke, taking up the function of Deputy in “Sinister.” The film facilities round a author who finds snuff movies in his new home. Ransone additionally acted alongside Invoice Hader, Jessica Chastain and Invoice Skarsgård within the follow-up “It: Chapter Two,” taking part in Eddie Kaspbrak, considered one of a number of characters being laid low with killer clown Pennywise.
Whereas selling the movie, he defended the horror style towards those that contemplate it a “throwaway” class.
“To these folks I’ll say, ‘Inform that to William Friedkin or Stanley Kubrick,’” Ransone mentioned in an interview with Anthem Journal.
He additionally had roles within the reveals “Technology Kill,” “Treme” and “Bosch.” His ultimate TV look got here within the a second-season episode of Peacock’s comedy crime present “Poker Face,” which aired in June.
However he’ll possible be remembered most for his flip as Ziggy Sobotka in “The Wire,” a darkish and uncompromising drama — hailed as probably the greatest TV reveals of all time — that explored varied features of Baltimore and its establishments. Ransone appeared in all 12 episodes of the present’s second season, which targeted on the decimation of the town’s docks.
He performed the son of a dock union chief, whose scheming charisma obtained him into bother with different low-level criminals — but additionally endeared him to some viewers. In a single notable story arc, he purchased a duck, which he paraded round with a diamond necklace; the fowl later died as a result of he fed it an excessive amount of alcohol.
The critically acclaimed HBO sequence aired from 2002 to 2008 and starred Dominic West, Michael Kenneth Williams, John Doman, Idris Elba, Wooden Harris, Lance Reddick, Wendell Pierce, Frankie Faison, Lawrence Gilliard Jr. and extra.
In a press release launched to the Baltimore Banner information web site, “Wire” creator David Simon referred to as Ransone’s loss of life “grievous and terrible.”
“He dedicated not solely to the work however to the camaraderie that turns each good movie manufacturing into one thing familial and caring,” mentioned the assertion by Simon, who additionally solid Ransone in “Technology Kill” and “Treme.”
In an interview on MSNBC after the discharge of the film “Sinister 2,” Ransone mentioned he was happy with the work he had completed on “The Wire” however referred to as it a “actual double-edged sword” in that individuals would perpetually typecast him as Ziggy. He described himself as a horror movie fan and spoke of how working with filmmakers similar to Simon, Sean Baker and Spike Lee had opened his eyes to many social inequities.
It wasn’t instantly clear whether or not Ransone was residing in L.A. on the time of his loss of life. A person together with his identify is listed on the California secretary of state’s web site as residing within the Fairfax neighborhood.
LAPD spokesperson Officer Norma Eisenman mentioned that round 2 p.m. Friday a police squad responded to a 911 name about an undetermined loss of life at that location. Inside, she mentioned, officers discovered a person who appeared to have taken his personal life.
As a result of foul play isn’t suspected, the case is being dealt with by the health worker’s workplace, Eisenman mentioned, including that she couldn’t verify that the person was Ransone or present different particulars in regards to the 911 name.
TMZ reported that Ransone was a married father of two, and spouse Jamie McPhee posted a fundraiser for the Nationwide Alliance on Psychological Sickness in her social media profile.
Lately, Ransone got here out as a sexual abuse survivor and in addition spoke overtly about his struggles with dependancy.
In 2016, he informed Interview Journal that he had gotten sober at age 27 “after being on heroin for 5 years.”
“Folks suppose I obtained sober engaged on the ‘Technology Kill.’ I didn’t. I sobered up six or seven months earlier than that,” he informed the publication. “I bear in mind going to Africa and I used to be going to be there for nearly a yr. I used to be quantity two on the decision sheet and I used to be like, ‘I feel any individual made a mistake. That is an excessive amount of duty for me.’”
Ransone in 2021 disclosed that he had been sexually abused by a former tutor at his childhood dwelling in Phoenix, Md. over a six-month span in 1992, based on the Baltimore Banner. He revealed the allegations on Instagram, the place he shared a prolonged word that he had despatched his alleged abuser, the Banner reported. A police investigation was later launched into the allegations however closed with out fees being filed.
Suicide prevention and disaster counseling sources
In the event you or somebody you understand is combating suicidal ideas, search assist from knowledgeable and name 9-8-8. America’ first nationwide three-digit psychological well being disaster hotline 988 will join callers with skilled psychological well being counselors. Textual content “HOME” to 741741 within the U.S. and Canada to succeed in the Disaster Textual content Line.
