Actor James Ransone died Friday of an apparent suicide, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said. He was 46 years old.
The American actor is best known for playing Ziggy Sobotka in the TV series “The Wire” and his role as Eddie Kaspbrak in the horror film “It: Chapter Two.”
He played roles in shows such as “Generation Kill” and “Bosch,” and his last television appearance was in the second season episode of “Poker Face” that aired in June, according to the British newspaper “Daily Mail.” TMDB.
Ransone’s other film credits included roles in the horror film series “Sinister,” “Tangerine,” “Mr. Right” and the “Black Phone” film series.
Ranson spoke about the social challenges he faced while growing up in the community A conversation with Interview magazine in 2016.
“I didn’t get along well with all the kids,” he said. “Adolescence was a very difficult time for me, as I think it is for most kids.”
Ransone said he had difficulty in “regular public schools,” so his mother found an art school where he could audition, and he jumped at the chance.
“I think he saved me when I was a kid,” Ranson said. “Going to art school saved me.”
Ransone later enrolled in film school in New York, but said he failed because he “didn’t show up to class.”
Ransone “hit it off for a couple of years” and pursued some smaller acting opportunities while also playing a lot of music, and at one point considered a career as a musician.
After a few years, Ransone realized that acting was his calling.
“I woke up at 27 after being on heroin for five years,” Ransone said. “It was like I woke up and realized that my job was to be an actor. This is crazy!”
Ransone said he woke up six or seven months ago to work on “Generation Kill,” a work that ended up being a transformative experience for the actor.
Because his father was a Vietnam War veteran, Ransone said being around Marines who fought in the war when they were young allowed him to see “a version of… [his] “My father when he was young.”
“A lot of things started to make sense to me in a different way,” Ransone said. “It didn’t do much for my career, but it shaped me and the way I think about my life,” he added.
Ransone is survived by his wife, Jamie McVeigh, and their two children.
NBC News reached out to Ransone’s representatives but did not immediately receive a response.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 or go to 988lifeline.org To access a lifeline for suicide and crises. You can also call the network, formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255 Or visit TalkingOfSuicide.com/resources.
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