Spike Lee and other filmmakers and co-stars posted tributes this weekend after actor James Ransone died in Los Angeles at 46, a death the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner recorded as a suicide.
Lee, who directed Ransone in “Inside Man” and “Red Hook Summer,” wrote on Instagram, “Rest In Peace To My Dear Brother, MR. JAMES RANSONE. We Rocked Together On RED HOOK SUMMER and INSIDE MAN.”
Wendell Pierce, who appeared with Ransone in “The Wire” and later on “Treme,” shared a brief message on X: “Sorry I couldn’t be there for you, brother. Rest in Peace James Ransone.” A post from HBO paired a photo of Ransone’s “Wire” character, Ziggy Sobotka, with the line “In loving memory of James Ransone,” while Blumhouse said it was “saddened by the passing” and thanked him for his work on “The Black Phone” and the “Sinister” films.
Ransone’s screen career often leaned on intensity and unpredictability. He broke through as Ziggy on Season 2 of “The Wire,” then continued a steady run across television, including “Bosch” and “Poker Face,” while building a film résumé that moved from indie features to studio horror. Medical examiner records and recent reports tied his final screen work to the franchise sequel “Black Phone 2.”
Several collaborators highlighted his off-camera warmth. Director Sean Baker wrote, “I’ll miss you dearly my friend,” and actor Mya Taylor called him “sweet and funny,” adding that he “could light up a room with his smile and dimples.” “The Wire” creator David Simon called the death “grievous and awful” in a statement carried by the Baltimore Banner, according to the Los Angeles Times.
