James Ransone, who played Ziggy Sobotka in “The Wire” and a host of other HBO roles, has died. He was 46.
Ransone died by suicide Friday in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner.
He was a married father of two, and wife Jamie McPhee posted a fund-raiser for the National Alliance on Mental Illness in her social media profile.
Ransone’s cause of death was listed as “hanging,” while his place of death was listed as “shed.”
James Ransone in “The Wire.” HBO
Ransone as Ziggy in “The Wire.” HBO
The Post has reached out to reps for Ransone and “The Wire” creator David Simon for comment.
Ransone portrayed Frank Sobotka’s (Chris Bauer) son, Baltimore dock worker Ziggy, in the second season of “The Wire.”
He appeared in 12 episodes in 2003.
The critically acclaimed HBO series aired from 2002 to 2008, starring Dominic West, Michael Kenneth Williams, John Doman, Idris Elba, Wood Harris, Lance Reddick, Wendell Pierce, Frankie Faison, Lawrence Gilliard Jr. and more.
Ransone at “The Wire” premiere in New York City in 2003. WireImage
Ransone at the 2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards. WireImageRansone also had roles in the shows “Generation Kill,” “Treme” and “Bosch.” His final TV appearance was in a Season 2 episode of “Poker Face” that aired in June.
In film, Ransone starred in “Prom Night” (2008), “Sinister” (2012), “Sinister 2” (2015), “Tangerine” (2015), “Mr. Right” (2015), “It Chapter Two (2019), “The Black Phone” (2021) and “Black Phone 2” (2025).
In 2021, Ransone came forward as a sexual abuse survivor.
The actor said that his former tutor, Timothy Rualo, sexually abused him numerous times at his childhood home in Phoenix, Maryland, over the course of six months in 1992.
Ransone made the accusation public by posting a lengthy note on Instagram that he sent his alleged sexual abuser.
Ransone and Sam Richardson in “Poker Face.” Sarah Shatz/PEACOCK via Getty Images
Shannyn Sossamon and Ransone in “Sinister II.” ©Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection
Ransone in “Mr. Right.” ©Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection“We did very little math,” Ransone recalled. “The strongest memory I have of the abuse was washing blood and feces out of my sheets after you left. I remember doing this as a 12 year old because I was too ashamed to tell anyone.”
The alleged abuse led to a “lifetime of shame and embarrassment” for Ransone, who told Rualo his actions propelled him to become an alcoholic and a heroin addict. After getting sober in 2006, Ransone said he was “ready to confront” his past. He later reported the accusations to Baltimore County police in March 2020.
A detective then told Ransone in September that prosecutors “had no interest in pursuing the matter any further,” according to his email.
Ransone at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. WireImage
Ransone at This Is Duplass: An Evening With Jay and Mark in LA in 2015. Getty ImagesThe Baltimore County State’s Attorney Office ultimately did not bring charges following the police investigation, the Baltimore Sun reported.
In 2016, Ransone revealed in an Interview Magazine story that he got sober at 27 “after being on heroin for five years.”
“People think I got sober working on the ‘Generation Kill.’ I didn’t. I sobered up six or seven months before that,” he shared. “I remember going to Africa and I was going to be there for almost a year. I was No. 2 on the call sheet and I was like, ‘I think somebody made a mistake. This is too much responsibility for me.’ ”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
