Stephen King’s ‘IT’ and ‘The Wire’ Star James Ransone Dies Aged 46

Hollywood actor James Ransone, best known for his roles in films like Sinister and the TV show The Wire, has died at age 46. Per Variety‘s report, the actor was confirmed to have died by suicide by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.

Though not his official debut, Ransone rose to recognition in Larry Clark and Edward Lachman’s controversial teenage drama Ken Park. After other small roles, he appeared in films like Inside Man, the horror remake Prom Night, the crime thriller The Next Three Days, and the sci-fi thriller Captive State.

2012 saw Ransone enter the horror spotlight with Scott Derrickson’s Sinister, as he played the secondary character known as Deputy So-and-So. The character was interesting enough to get Ransone an invitation to play the lead in Sinister 2. The sequel saw the deputy become a private investigator who specializes in the demonic entity known as Bughuul. He reunited with Derrickson for 2021’s The Black Phone.

Ransone was also known for his roles in independent movies. He starred in Sean Baker’s movies Starlet and Tangerine, the John Waters satire titled A Dirty Shame, and Westerns like The Timber and In a Valley of Violence. The latter saw him reunite with Ethan Hawke after having starred alongside the actor in Sinister and Cymbeline.

The actor’s run on television was also notable. In 2003, he debuted in one of his most famous roles, as he gave life to The Wire‘s Ziggy Sobotka, a lowlife criminal and dockworker who always found himself in trouble. In 2008, Ransone also appeared in the HBO war miniseries Generation Kill in the role of Corporal Josh Ray Person. In the 2010s, he was featured in shows like How to Make It in America, Treme, Low Winter Sun, and Bosch. Most recently, he appeared in the crime comedy Poker Face.

James Ransone Starred as Eddie Kapsbrak in ‘IT Chapter Two’

Ransone’s performance as adult Eddie Kapsbrak in Andy Muschietti’s “sequel” to 2017’s IT stands out among his later work. The actor was responsible for playing the character in the second chapter of the IT film series, In the first chapter, Eddie was played by the young Jack Dylan Grazer, and while Grazer’s Eddie is the one that people like to talk about, Ransone’s was crucial in adding more depth to the most underappreciated member of the Losers Club.

Ransone could have played a less serious version of Eddie, following up on Grazer’s performance. However, the late actor was able to conceive a very compelling version of Eddie. Kapsbrak is a hypochondriac, and though the first movie used Eddie’s obsession for comic relief, Ransone was able to take the character to a whole other level. Not only did we understand Eddie, we actually connected with the character – something that didn’t happen with all the adults in the Losers Club.

Our thoughts are with the actor’s family and friends at this time.

Birthdate

June 2, 1979

Birthplace

USA