The cause of death of James Ransone, best known for his role in The Wire, has been revealed.
According to a December 29 death certificate obtained by People on Wednesday, the actor died by suicide.
Ransone’s death on December 19 was ruled an apparent suicide by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
Ransone was widely recognised for his portrayal of Ziggy Sobotka in The Wire.
His film credits included Sinister (2012), Sinister 2 (2015), It Chapter Two (2019), The Black Phone (2021) and Black Phone 2 (2025).
His final acting appearance was in a Season 2 episode of Poker Face, which aired in June.
Two days after his death, Ransone’s wife, Jamie McPhee, shared a tribute on Instagram mourning her husband.
“I told you I have loved you 1000 times before and I know I will love you again,” McPhee wrote.
“You told me – I need to be more like you and you need to be more like me – and you were so right.”
She also thanked Ransone for giving her “the greatest gifts,” their son Jack, 6, and daughter Violet, 4.
A GoFundMe page was created to support McPhee and her children as they “navigate life after an unimaginable loss.”
The fundraiser has raised more than $229,000.
Tributes from across the film and television industry followed news of Ransone’s death. Director Spike Lee wrote on Instagram, “Rest In Peace To My Dear Brother, Mr. James Ransone. We Rocked Together On Red Hook Summer And Inside Man.”
Actor Natasha Lyonne, who worked with Ransone on Poker Face, shared a message with his widow, saying, “Love you with everything I got and holding our beloved brilliant peejo with grace, gratitude and cosmic peace into this life and the next – family forever.”
Ransone’s The Wire co-star Wendell Pierce also paid tribute, writing on X, “Sorry I couldn’t be there for you, brother. Rest in Peace James Ransone.”
The actor had been open about his struggles with addiction prior to his death.
In a 2016 Interview Magazine story, Ransone said he became sober at 27 “after being on heroin for five years”.
In 2021, he also disclosed that he was sexually abused by a former tutor during childhood.
He said the alleged abuse led to a “lifetime of shame and embarrassment,” and told his former tutor that the experience is what led him to become an alcoholic and a heroin addict.
Images: Instagram
