We have tragic news to report out of Hollywood this evening.
Actor James Ransone — who was best known for his role on the acclaimed HBO series The Wire — has passed away.
He was just 46 years old.
News of Ransone’s death comes courtesy of a report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office.
According to the report, the cause of Ransone’s passing was suicide by hanging.
Ransone has long been open about his battles with substance abuse and mental illness.
Earlier this week, his wife, Jamie McPhee, posted a link to a fundraiser for the National Alliance for Mental Health, an organization that was reportedly close to James’ heart.
The couple had two children together.
Ransone had dozens of TV and film credits to his name, but he is likely best remembered for portraying Ziggy Sobotka, the son of Chris Bauer’s Frank Sobotka, on the second season of The Wire.
In more recent years, Ransone starred in a wide array of popular films, including Prom Night, Sinister, Sinister 2, Tangerine, Mr. Right, It Chapter Two, The Black Phone, and this year’s Black Phone 2.
Ransone spoke publicly about his personal struggles
Admirably candid about his private challenges, Ransone admitted to battling heroin addiction, but reported that he had been sober since 2007.
In 2021, Ransone alleged that his former tutor, Timothy Rualo, sexually abused him numerous times at his childhood home in Maryland in 1992.
“We did very little math,” Ransone recalled (per The New York Post), adding:
“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.”
Ransone alleged that the abuse led to a “lifetime of shame and embarrassment” that propelled him to drug and alcohol abuse.
Our thoughts go out to James Ransone’s loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.