Actor James Ransone, who left a strong impression as Ziggy Sobotka in the American drama 'The Wire(The Wire)', has died. He was 46.
On the 21st (local time), according to the Daily Mail, Ransone was found dead last Friday in Los Angeles, California. The cause of death was confirmed as suicide, and the place of death was recorded as a shed. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner officially confirmed it.
Ransone is survived by his wife Jamie McPhee and two children. His wife McPhee later added a fundraising link to support NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) to her social media profile as a tribute.
Ransone appeared as Ziggy Sobotka, the son of dockworker and union leader Frank Sobotka (played by Chris Bauer), in season 2 of 'The Wire', which aired in 2003, winning praise for his dense portrayal of an unstable youth. 'The Wire' aired from 2002 to 2008 and is regarded as a masterpiece of modern TV drama, featuring distinguished actors such as Dominic West, Michael K. Williams and Idris Elba.
After that, Ransone expanded his activities with Generation Kill, Treme and Bosch, and an episode of Poker Face season 2 released in June this year became his last TV appearance.
He also made a notable mark in films. He appeared in Sinister, It Chapter Two and The Black Phone, among other horror and indie works, and was also listed in the 2025 release Black Phone 2.
He did not hide his personal wounds and process of recovery during his life. He came out as a survivor of sexual violence in 2021, and in a 2016 interview he said he had escaped drug addiction in his late 20s and was on the road to recovery. Those confessions gave courage and comfort to many fans.
When the news was reported, fans poured out messages of condolence, saying, "an actor who was intense on and off screen" and "I will never forget Ziggy's face." One fan said, "His honesty was a turning point that changed my life."
※ If you are struggling with hard-to-talk-about worries such as depression or know family members or acquaintances who are going through such difficulties, you can receive 24-hour professional counseling through the suicide prevention hotline ☎1393, mental health counseling hotline ☎1577-0199, Hope Line ☎129, Lifeline ☎1588-9191, youth hotline ☎1388, the youth mobile counseling app "I will listen to everything" or KakaoTalk.
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