James Ransone, actor known for ‘The Wire’ and ‘It: Chapter Two, dies at 46

James Ransone – the legendary actor known for his roles in The Wire and It: Chapter Two – has passed away at the age of 46.

The character actor who famously played Ziggy Sobotka in HBO’s acclaimed crime drama The Wire, died by suicide on Friday in Los Angeles.

According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, Ransone’s death has been ruled a suicide.

While further details were not released, the medical examiner’s office confirmed that his body is ready for release.

Ransone is survived by his wife, Jamie McPhee, and their two children.

Following his death, McPhee added a fundraiser benefiting the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to her social media profile, signalling support for mental health awareness.

Ransone won hearts in the second season of HBO’s The Wire where he played the role of a troubled Baltimore dock worker and son of union leader Frank Sobotka (played by Chris Bauer). He appeared in 12 episodes during the show’s 2003 run.

He later appeared in Generation Kill and Treme as well as on Amazon’s Bosch. James Ransone’s final television appearance came earlier this year in a season two episode of Poker Face, which aired in June.

The actor -who was a survivor of sexual abuse – has appeared in many notable films like Prom Night, Sinister, Sinister 2, Tangerine, Mr. Right, It Chapter Two, The Black Phone and the upcoming Black Phone 2.