James Ransone, the actor known for his roles in IT Chapter Two and The Wire, has died. He was 46.
The Film Independent Spirit Award winner was found dead by hanging on Friday in Los Angeles, having apparently died by suicide, according to the county medical examiner’s report.
Born June 2, 1979 in Baltimore, Ransone attended the nearby George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology before studying at Manhattan’s School of Visual Arts. Some of his early roles include films like Larry Clark’s Ken Park (2002), John Waters’ A Dirty Shame (2004) and Spike Lee’s Inside Man (2006).
Ransone was known for his horror roles as the grown Eddie Kaspbrak in IT Chapter Two (2019) and the unnamed deputy in Sinister (2012) and Sinister 2 (2015), most recently reprising his The Black Phone (2021) role as Max in Black Phone 2.
His other movie credits include Prom Night (2008), Starlet (2012), Spike Lee’s Red Hook Summer (2012), Sean Baker’s Starlet (2012), Oldboy (2013), Cymbeline (2014), Baker’s Tangerine (2015), Mr. Right (2015), Ti West’s In A Valley of Violence (2016) Gemini (2017) and V/H/S/85 (2023).
Bill Hader, Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, James Ransone, Isaiah Mustafa and Jay Ryan in ‘IT Chapter Two’ (2019) (Brooke Palmer/Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett Collection)
On TV, Ransone was known for playing Ziggy Sobotka on Season 2 of HBO’s The Wire, also appeared in episodes of CSI, Law & Order, Burn Notice, Hawaii Five-0, Treme, Bosch and Poker Face.
Having been open about his mental health struggles in the past, Ransone accused a former tutor of sexually assaulting him in 1992, and he overcame a five-year heroine addiction.
Ransone is survived by wife Jamie McPhee and their son.
If you or someone you know is struggling with difficult life circumstances or uncomfortable thoughts and emotions call or text 988 to reach the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.