James Ransone
Born: June 2, 1979
Age: 45
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
James Finley Ransone III (born June 2, 1979) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Ziggy Sobotka in Season 2 of HBO's The Wire, as U.S. Marines Corporal Josh Ray Person in the Iraq War-based mini-series Generation Kill, and Tate from Ken Park, most notably, for his infamous and somewhat controversial scene depicting autoerotic asphyxiation.
Life and career
Ransone was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Joyce (Peterson) and James Finley Ransone II. A former musician, at the age of 27, Ransone had developed a heroin habit and a debt of $30,000, but radically altered his lifestyle by moving to Namibia for eight months, undergoing immersion into his role as Person in Generation Kill. He appeared in a small recurring role in the HBO series Treme. In 2011, Ransone and Michael Zegen were cast in recurring roles in the HBO comedy series How to Make It in America. Ransone appeared in the show's pilot episode, and then a further six episodes.
In 2006, Ransone saved his neighbor from being raped, by answering her cries for help, and fighting off her assailant. He was interviewed in the film Freakonomics as a bystander regarding the issue of ethnicity and names. In 2012, he starred in the film Starlet as Mikey. In June 2014, it was announced that Ransone had joined the cast of Ti West's Western drama film In a Valley of Violence.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2001 | The American Astronaut | Bodysuit | |
2002 | Ken Park | Tate | |
2003 | Nola | Neo-Gothboy | |
2004 | A Dirty Shame | Dingy Dave | |
2004 | Downtown: A Street Tale | Billy | |
2004 | Malachance | Mika | |
2005 | The Good Humor Man | Junebug | |
2006 | Inside Man | Steve-O | |
2006 | Puccini for Beginners | Lone Guy at Bistro | |
2008 | Prom Night | Detective Nash | |
2009 | The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll | Chip Genson | |
2010 | The Next Three Days | Harv | |
2011 | The Lie | Weasel | |
2011 | Son of No One | Thomas Prudenti | |
2012 | Sinister | Deputy So-and-So | |
2012 | Starlet | Mikey | Robert Altman Award for Best Ensemble Cast |
2012 | Red Hook Summer | Kevin | |
2013 | Broken City | Todd Lancaster | |
2013 | Empire State | Agent Nugent | |
2013 | Oldboy | Dr. Tom Melby | |
2014 | Electric Slide | Jan Phillips | |
2014 | Cymbeline | Philario | |
2014 | Kristy | Scott | |
2015 | Tangerine | Chester | |
2015 | The Timber | Wyatt | |
2015 | Bloomin Mud Shuffle | Lonnie | |
2015 | Sinister 2 | Ex-Deputy So-and-So | |
2015 | Mr. Right | Vaughn | |
2016 | In a Valley of Violence | Gilly |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2001 | Law & Order | Mark Dale | Episode: "Deep Vote" |
2002 | Third Watch | Frankie | 2 episodes |
2002 | Ed | Gary Morton | Episode: "Power of the Person" |
2003 | The Wire | Chester "Ziggy" Sobotka | 12 episodes |
2005 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Zack Coppola | Episode: "Iced" |
2006 | Love Monkey | Glenn | Episode: "The Window" |
2006 | Law & Order | Michael Wayland | Episode: "Fame" |
2006 | Jericho | Daryl | Episode: "A.K.A." |
2008 | Generation Kill | Corporal Josh Ray Person | 7 episodes |
2010 | How to Make It in America | Tim | 7 episodes |
2010 | Burn Notice | Dennis Wayne Barfield | Episode: "Eyes Open" |
2011 | Hawaii Five-0 | Johnny D. / Perry Hutchinson | Episode: "Ne Me'e Laua Na Paio" |
2011 | Treme | Nick | 10 episodes |
2013 | Low Winter Sun | Damon Callis | Main cast; 10 episodes |
2016 | Bosch | Eddie Arceneaux | Main Cast; 7 episodes |