---
name: "James Ransone"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/james-ransone"
fi1m_id: "james-ransone"
imdb_id: "nm0710447"
tmdb_id: 5296
wikidata_id: "Q44273"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "2 June 1979"
died: "19 December 2025"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 72
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-10-05T15:04:12.317667+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# James Ransone

## Identity

James Ransone

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/james-ransone
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** james-ransone
- **IMDb ID:** nm0710447
- **TMDB ID:** 5296
- **Wikidata ID:** Q44273
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Ransone, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44273, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0710447/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/5296

Actor. Born 2 June 1979 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Died 19 December 2025.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 2 June 1979, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- **Died:** 19 December 2025
- **Active:** 2008–2025
- **Also known as:** James PJ Ransone, James Finley Ransone III
- **Average Fi1m score:** 72, as actor, over 4 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 84 (1), 2010s 70 (2), 2020s 64 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 72 to 75 across 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 4 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 3, Horror 2, Thriller 2, Action & Adventure 1, Comedy 1, War & Politics 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $607m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Ransone, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44273, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0710447/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/5296

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Generation Kill*](https://film.one/tv/generation-kill.md) (84), [*It Chapter Two*](https://film.one/film/it-chapter-two.md) (55)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Tangerine*](https://film.one/film/tangerine.md) (84)
- **Netflix:** [*Black Phone 2*](https://film.one/film/black-phone-2.md) (64)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on James Ransone

> James Ransone made talkative, difficult men funny without making them harmless. His work in *Generation Kill* is the clearest reason we value him: he lets the irritation remain, and gives the humour an uncomfortable edge.

In *Generation Kill* (2008), James Ransone’s Josh Ray Person makes profane talk funny without disguising how irritating it can be. He does not tidy Person up for our approval. We laughed at the Marines’ banter, then felt uncomfortable because the jokes had drawn us into accepting their ugliness. David Simon and Ed Burns let the jokes establish the men’s closeness while leaving the unpleasantness audible.

He had already found a conspicuous outlet for that volatility as Ziggy Sobotka, the dockworker’s son in *The Wire* (series two, 2003), his breakthrough role. The edgy or desperate supporting parts that followed risked making him predictable. But nervousness in his performances often comes with vulnerability, which gives us something to consider beyond how much trouble a character might cause. In *Generation Kill*, Alexander Skarsgård’s restraint as Brad Colbert gives that chatter a useful contrast, so Ransone need not soften Person to make the scenes bearable.

Horror made regular use of his anxious energy, from Deputy So-and-So in *Sinister* (2012) to the adult Eddie Kaspbrak in *It Chapter Two* (2019). Sean Baker’s *Tangerine* (2015), in which he plays Chester, sits between them; this was no clean departure from independent film. The horror parts can make it easy to forget that he kept working in independent film.

Scott Derrickson was another recurring collaborator; Ransone appears in *The Black Phone* (2021) and *Black Phone 2* (2025). The sequel’s grainy dream sequences are more persuasive than its explanations and sermonising, and his presence is not a reason to overlook that. We would not make a stronger case for the film simply because he is in it. Start with *Generation Kill*, if the dense military language does not put you off; Ransone makes even the aggravation worth attending to.

## Biography

James Ransone was an American actor. He was born on 2 June 1979 in Baltimore, Maryland, and trained at the George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology in Towson before attending the School of Visual Arts in New York for one year.

Ransone first gained attention for his role as Chester 'Ziggy' Sobotka in the second season of the series *The Wire* (2002). Subsequent credits include Cpl. Josh Ray Person in the miniseries *Generation Kill* (2008), the Deputy in *Sinister* (2012) and *Sinister 2* (2015), adult Eddie Kaspbrak in *It Chapter Two* (2019), and Max in *The Black Phone* (2021) and *Black Phone 2* (2025). He died on 19 December 2025.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, theguardian.com.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *Black Phone 2* (2025), Fi1m 64, as Max — [page](https://film.one/film/black-phone-2.md)
- *It Chapter Two* (2019), Fi1m 55, as Eddie Kaspbrak — [page](https://film.one/film/it-chapter-two.md)
- *Tangerine* (2015), Fi1m 84, as Chester — [page](https://film.one/film/tangerine.md)
- *Generation Kill* (2008), Fi1m 84, as Josh Ray Person — [page](https://film.one/tv/generation-kill.md)

## Complete filmography (70)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Black Phone 2* (2025), as Max — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/black-phone-2.md)
- *V/H/S/85* (2023), as Bobby (segment "Dreamkill")
- *Poker Face* (2023), series, as Juice — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/poker-face.md)
- *The Black Phone* (2022), as Max Shaw
- *Small Engine Repair* (2021), as PJ
- *What We Found* (2020), as Sgt. Steven Mohler
- *50 States of Fright* (2020), series, as Sebastian Klepner
- *It Chapter Two* (2019), as Eddie Kaspbrak — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/film/it-chapter-two.md)
- *Captive State* (2019), as Ellison
- *The First* (2018), series, as Nick Fletcher
- *Fish in the Sea* (2018), as Jack
- *Tough Love* (2018), as Man
- *Doulo* (2018), as Edwin
- *Family Blood* (2018), as Christopher
- *Write When You Get Work* (2018), as Steven Noble
- *The Clapper* (2018), as Darth Guy
- *Mosaic* (2018), series, as Michael O'Connor
- *It Happened in L.A.* (2017), as Heath
- *SEAL Team* (2017), series, as Reiss Julian
- *Gemini* (2017), as Stan
- *In a Valley of Violence* (2016), as Gilly
- *Light Up the Night* (2016), as Joe
- *Mr. Right* (2016), as Von Cartigan
- *Conventional* (2015), as Stu Mac 3
- *Fun Size Horror: Volume Two* (2015), as Stu Mac 3 (segment 'Conventional')
- *Sinister 2* (2015), as Ex-Deputy So & So
- *Tangerine* (2015), as Chester — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/tangerine.md)
- *Bloomin Mud Shuffle* (2015), as Lonnie
- *The Timber* (2015), as Wyatt
- *Bosch* (2015), series, as Eddie Arceneaux
- *Fruits De Mer* (2014), as George
- *Cymbeline* (2014), as Philario
- *Kristy* (2014), as Scott
- *This American Life: Live at BAM* (2014), as David
- *Granted!* (2014), as Larry
- *False True Love* (2014), Actor
- *Electric Slide* (2014), as Jan Phillips
- *Oldboy* (2013), as Dr. Tom Melby
- *The Man Who Came Out Only at Night* (2013), as The Man Who Came Out Only at Night
- *Empire State* (2013), as Agent Nugent
- *Low Winter Sun* (2013), series, as Damon Callis
- *Broken City* (2013), as Todd Lancaster
- *Year of the Rat* (2013), Actor
- *Starlet* (2012), as Mikey
- *Sinister* (2012), as Deputy
- *Red Hook Summer* (2012), as Kevin
- *The Lie* (2011), as Weasel
- *The Son of No One* (2011), as Officer Thomas Prudenti
- *The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll* (2011), as Chip Genson
- *The Next Three Days* (2010), as Harv
- *Hawaii Five-0* (2010), series, as Johnny D. / Perry Hutchinson — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/tv/hawaii-five-0.md)
- *Generation Kill* (2008), series, as Josh Ray Person — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/generation-kill.md)
- *Prom Night* (2008), as Detective Nash
- *Burn Notice* (2007), series, as Dennis Wayne Barfield
- *Jericho* (2006), series, as Daryl
- *Puccini for Beginners* (2006), as Lone Guy at Bistro
- *Inside Man* (2006), as Steve-O
- *The Good Humor Man* (2005), as Junebug
- *Malachance* (2004), as Mika
- *Downtown: A Street Tale* (2004), as Billy
- *A Dirty Shame* (2004), as Dingy Dave
- *Ken Park* (2003), as Tate
- *Nola* (2003), as Neo-Gothboy
- *Fan Mail* (2003), as Ricky
- *The Wire* (2002), series, as Chester 'Ziggy' Sobotka — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-wire.md)
- *The American Astronaut* (2001), as Bodysuit
- *Ed* (2000), series, as Gary Morton
- *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation* (2000), series, as Zack Capola
- *Third Watch* (1999), series, as Frankie
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, as Mark Dale, Michael Whelan — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)

## Gallery

- ![James Ransone](https://film.one/media/person/7884/gallery-ecd5744ccb5c.jpg) James Ransone — Image via TMDB
- ![James Ransone](https://film.one/media/person/7884/gallery-679942d2ba81.jpg) James Ransone — Image via TMDB
- ![James Ransone](https://film.one/media/person/7884/gallery-9b627f23988e.jpg) James Ransone — Image via TMDB
- ![James Ransone](https://film.one/media/person/7884/gallery-144e825e0381.jpg) James Ransone — Image via TMDB

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/james-ransone