James Ransone appeared in just 12 episodes of “The Wire.” And even in those, he was included in less than 20% of scenes, by one count.

But his bombastic, if misguided, Ziggy Sobotka became one of the HBO show’s most complex and treasured characters.

Ransone died Friday of suicide at age 46, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner. He is survived by his wife, Jamie McPhee, and two children.

On Sunday, McPhee posted a photo on social media of her and Ransone, saying: “I told you I have loved you 1000 times before and I know I will love you again. ... Thank you for giving me the greatest gifts — you, Jack and Violet. We are forever.”

Attempts to reach other family members of Ransone were unsuccessful.

A Baltimore-area native, Ransone was living in New York City when he auditioned for season two of “The Wire,” a show he had barely heard of. He impressed creator David Simon enough to land the role.

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James Ransone, who played Ziggy on ‘The Wire,’ dead at 46

Dec 22, 2025

Simon remembered Ransone in a statement Sunday as a “smart, sincere collaborator” committed to making each production set a familial place.

Many shared memories of Ransone, who lived in Los Angeles, on social media over the weekend. Wendell Pierce, a castmate on “The Wire,” wrote: “Sorry I couldn’t be there for you, brother.”

“I hate to think of him unhappy,” Simon said.

Ransone was also well-known for his portrayal of Eddie in 2019’s “It Chapter Two.” That film’s director, Andy Muschietti, posted on social media, “I’m so lucky to have met you and to be your friend.”

A self-described “white-trash kid at art school,” Ransone graduated from the Carver Center for Arts & Technology in Towson in 1997. He went on to appear in more than 50 films, including “Inside Man” (2006), “Tangerine” (2015) and “The Black Phone” (2021).

As a youth in the 1990s, Ransone was a victim of abuse by a tutor, he said in 2021. His allegations prompted a Baltimore County Police Department investigation, but prosecutors did not bring charges.

Ransone wrote on his website that he “nearly destroyed his life with heroin, but got clean in 2006.”

Ransone’s Ziggy, the immature son of a stevedore leader, became a favorite of “The Wire” fans. At one point, the character makes a duck his pet, bringing it to a bar. But it was also an emotionally charged role.

“‘The Wire’ tested every ability I have as an actor,” Ransone said in the 2009 book “The Wire: Truth Be Told.” “You couldn’t be on that show and be one-dimensional.”