James Ransone, who starred as adult Eddie Kaspbrak in It: Chapter Two and also had roles in The Wire and the Sinister horror franchise, has passed away at the age of 46 on Friday, December 19 (via NBC News). According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner (via The Hollywood Reporter), the actor died by suicide. Ransone was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on June 2, 1979. He studied, first, at the George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology. Later, he moved to New York, where he studied film at Manhattan's School of Visual Arts, but left following his freshman year (as detailed in a 2015 interview with Grantland).
Speaking with said outlet, Ransone opened up about getting an agent as a new performer: "I don't even remember how, man. I, like, met some dude at a party and [said], 'I think I wanna be an actor?'... It used to be a lot easier in the '90s." Having only started out in the entertainment industry, he landed a role in a Dr. Pepper commercial, which he detailed in the interview with Grantland: "I stood there like a jerkoff looking up at the camera. I was young and hip and drinking pop."
Ransone's first two roles on film and television were in Cory McAbee's 2001 musical The American Astronaut and in two 2001 episodes of Law & Order. He then booked a part in 2002's Ken Park playing the titular character, before landing a breakthrough role in HBO's The Wire, playing Chester "Ziggy" Sobotka for 12 episodes in Season 2. The actor discussed his audition process for the series with Observer in 2015, explaining:
"I remember the dialogue was really, really dense. I was living in New York, but I'm from Baltimore. I grew up in Towson, in the suburbs, so when they auditioned me—it was one of the first scenes in the bar, where Ziggy takes his dick out—and the dialogue was so [frick]ing dense. I was like, 'I have no [frick]ing idea what's going on with this, but I know I can do a Baltimore accent.'"
In the years following the HBO series, James Ransone continued to work consistently as an actor, appearing in films like Spike Lee's Inside Man—starring Denzel Washington—and the 2008 slasher Prom Night. On the television side, he appeared on Jericho, HBO's Generation Kill and Bosch. He then earned more mainstream attention portraying the Deputy in the 2012 horror film Sinister—helmed by Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson—as well as its 2015 sequel, Sinister 2.
In what would arguably be his most high-profile role, Ransone portrayed the adult version of Eddie Kaspbrak in 2019's It: Chapter Two, directed by Andy Muschietti. The film was a financial success, earning $473 million worldwide. After that, he appeared as Max in Scott Derrickson's 2021 film The Black Phone, and its 2025 sequel, Black Phone 2.
His final television role was in Episode 7 of Poker Face Season 2, "One Last Job," which aired on Peacock.
The actor is survived by his wife and their two children. Our condolences go out to Ransone's loved ones.
As provided by Variety, should you or anyone you know experience suicidal thoughts, you can reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources. Another resource available is the International Association for Suicide Prevention.