James Ransone, the extraordinarily gifted actor whose singular presence enlivened several Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated dramas, has died. He was just 46 years old. Ransone’s death happened Friday in Los Angeles, with the medical examiner’s office subsequently ruling his death a suicide.
Born in Baltimore in 1979, Ransone discovered an early passion for the arts. From 1993-1997, he was a student at the Carver Center for Arts and Technology in Towson, Maryland. While there, he sharpened his craft and discovered his love for performing. In 2002, he earned his biggest success to date by starring in the controversial teen drama “Ken Park.” This role paved the way to a multitude of exciting opportunities for him.
In 2003 he landed the breakout role on one of the most administratively praised show “The Wire.” He played Chester “Ziggy” Sobotka on the show’s second season. His historic performance opened doors for him, but made him a high-profile exception that set a dangerous precedent. Ransone further solidified his reputation with his role as real-life Marine Cpl. Josh Ray Person in the miniseries “Generation Kill,” where he acted alongside Alexander Skarsgård.
Ransone’s artistic trajectory experienced a special bump after he received a leading role in It Chapter Two. As Eddie Kaspbrak, he showed off his great range as an actor. Throughout his life, he remained a thinking person’s actor, at times brooding over the discipline and art of acting itself. In a 2016 interview with Interview magazine, he expressed, “so I find myself living in a lot of unlikable skin,” highlighting the emotional depth he brought to his roles.
In spite of Ransone’s remarkable professional success, he was struggling personally. His courageous testimony about being sexually abused by a male, former tutor operating in Maryland public schools in 2020. Authorities declined to pursue criminal charges. Ransone would later share that this intense trauma manifested in his struggles with alcohol and heroin addictions.