Why James Ransone Didn’t Think He Would Live to Be 30 & the Lifetime of Obstacles He Overcame

James Ransone was a brilliant actor, but he was also a strong, genuine person who overcame many challenges in his life.

Over the years, Ransone offered rare insights into his upbringing and struggles, sharing them with honesty and vulnerability. He survived childhood abuse by a tutor, he was “saved” by acting after not being able to fit in in public school, and he dropped out of film school in New York. He also got sober after five years of addiction and continued to work hard in his career, leaving behind a portfolio that includes work on “The Wire,” “Generation Kill,” “Treme,” “Bosch,” and “It Chapter Two.”

The Challenges James Ransone Overcame 

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In a 2016 chat with Interview magazine, Ransone shared how he got sober. “I woke up at 27 after being on heroin for five years. It was like I sobered up and I realized, ‘My job is being an actor. This is crazy!’” he said.

In the same interview, he spoke about his childhood. “I did not fit in well with all of the kids. Adolescence was a really hard time for me—as I think it is for most kids,” he shared. ”It’s so uncomfortable. With normal public schools, I used to have a really hard time with them.” He also revealed how changing to attending an arts school “saved” him.

In a post on social media in 2021, Ransone called out his childhood abuser, Page Six reports. 

How James Ransone Became Hopeful 

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Ransone had a complicated life, but in a 2019 interview with Anthem magazine, he was hopeful about all that he had overcome. “I really didn’t expect to be living at the age of 30,” he said. “I thought that even as a child. Now that I’m older and had a son this year, I’m looking back on my life with a new set of eyes.”

He continued, “I think I come from much rougher circumstances than I had told myself for a long time. Again, I didn’t expect to live past 30–I remember really feeling that way. So when I did, it was kind of like, ‘Huh. That’s weird.’ [laughs] ‘What now?’ I think on some level it was selfish of me to look at it that way because then I wouldn’t have to take any responsibility for my adult choices …”

Remembering James Ransone 

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Ransone passed away on Friday, December 19. He was 46. His cause of death has been reported as a suicide, New York Post reports. 

He is survived by his wife, Jamie McPhee, and their two children. There are many others whose lives he impacted, either with his work or who he was as a person.

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