22nd December 2025 – (Los Angeles) James Ransone, the American actor widely recognised for his portrayal of Ziggy Sobotka in the acclaimed television drama The Wire, has died by suicide at the age of 46, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has confirmed.
Ransone died on Friday in Los Angeles. Public records on the Medical Examiner’s website list the manner of death as suicide by hanging. Law enforcement sources said Los Angeles police officers were dispatched to a residential address, where they completed a death investigation report and found no indication of foul play.
Ransone began building his career in the early 2000s with minor television roles, including appearances in Ed and Third Watch, before securing his breakthrough part in the second season of HBO’s The Wire.
He played Ziggy Sobotka, a troubled dock worker drawn into organised crime, appearing in all 12 episodes of that season. His intense and volatile performance attracted widespread critical praise and a devoted following among viewers, with many fans later citing Ziggy as one of the series’ most memorable characters.
Beyond The Wire, Ransone amassed an extensive list of credits across television and film. He appeared in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Hawaii Five-0 and Burn Notice, and took on notable roles in the independent film Tangerine and in It: Chapter Two, the 2019 adaptation of Stephen King’s horror classic.
More recently, he featured in the horror thriller The Black Phone and reprised his involvement in its sequel, The Black Phone 2, which was released earlier this year.
No further details about memorial arrangements or family statements had been made public at the time of writing.
