'The Wire' and 'It: Chapter Two' star James Ransone dead at 46

James Ransone, known for his roles in shows like “The Wire” and movies like “It: Chapter Two,” has died at age 46.

According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, Ransone died on Friday, December 19, by hanging, in an apparent suicide.

His wife, Jamie McPhee, shared a heartfelt message Monday.

“I told you I have loved you 1000 times before and I know I will love you again,” she wrote on Instagram. “You told me - I need to be more like you and you need to be more like me - and you were so right. Thank you for giving me the greatest gifts - you, Jack and Violet. We are forever.”

Ransone and McPhee shared two children, Jack and Violet.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland on June 2, 1979, Ransone landed is breakout role in HBO’s “The Wire” in 2003. He went on to star in several HBO series, including “Generation Kill,” “How to Make It in America,” and “Treme.”

He also starred in films like Spike Lee’s “Inside Man,” “Sinister,” and “It: Chapter Two” the sequel to “It,” based on the horror novel by Stephen King.

Most recently, Ransone appeared in the Peacock series “Poker Face,” and the horror films “The Black Phone,” “V/H/S/85,” and “The Black Phone 2.”

Ransone was open about some of his personal struggles before his death.

In 2021, he revealed that he had survived sexual abuse, allegedly by a former tutor when he was a teen. According to The New York Post, he made a direct accusation against the tutor in a now unavailableInstagram post. He spoke with Baltimore police about pursuing charges, but was told they had no interest in the case.

Ransone also opened up about his struggles with addiction. In a 2016 conversation with Interview Magazine, Ransone said he had gotten sober at age 27 after being on heroin for five years.

“People think I got sober working on the Generation Kill. I didn’t. I sobered up six or seven months before that. I remember going to Africa and I was going to be there for almost a year. I was number two on the call sheet and I was like, 'I think somebody made a mistake. This is too much responsibility for me,’” he told the outlet.

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