The “In a Valley of Violence” actor built a career playing exposed, restless characters, carrying a vulnerability that felt deeply personal — one shaped long before fame by years of feeling out of place and searching for meaning.For much of his life and career, James Ransone gravitated toward characters who lived on the margins — anxious, volatile, wounded men whose inner chaos often mirrored the actor’s own struggles off screen.
Whether portraying the restless dockworker Ziggy Sobotka on “The Wire” or slipping into the bruised psyche of horror and indie film characters, his performances carried a rawness that felt lived-in rather than performed.That body of work, built over decades and across genres, came to an abrupt end this week.
