The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office ruled Ransone’s Friday death a suicide.

James Ransone, star of *The Wire *and Sinister, dies at 46

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office ruled Ransone's Friday death a suicide.

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

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December 21, 2025 3:27 p.m. ET

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James Ransone. Credit:

Jon Kopaloff/Getty

James Ransone, the prolific character actor who made unforgettable, often haunting turns in series like *The Wire *and films like *Sinister *and *The Black Phone*, has died at the age of 46.

Ransone died on Friday, according to a case report by Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office, which ruled the actor's death as a suicide by hanging.

When reached for comment by **, the Los Angeles Police Department declined to comment, citing policy forbidding comment on cases of suicide.

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Ransone was born on June 2, 1979 in Baltimore. After a brief stint at New York's School of Visual Arts, Ransone made his breakthrough in Larry Clark's controversial erotic drama *Ken Park*, which released in 2002.

The following year, he secured one of the roles that would come to define his screen presence, and larger legacy as an actor. Ransone played the impudent and impulsive dock worker Ziggy Sobotka on season 2 of *The Wire*. His brash and at times shocking actions made for one of the most nail-biting arcs across the series run.

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After *The Wire*, Ransone appeared in several films by American masters like John Waters (*A Dirty Shame*), Spike Lee (*Inside Man*), and Sean Baker (*Starlet*). He carved out a genre specialty in horror, appearing in films like *Prom Night *and *Sinister*, and most recently earned a resurgence with roles in new classics like *It Chapter Two *and *The Black Phone*.****

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