James Ransone

A native of Baltimore, James Ransone attended the Carver Center for Arts and Technology in Towson, Maryland; the Center allows students to specialize in theater, dance, writing, fine arts, and film to supplement their academic studies.

After graduation, Mr. Ransone played in several Fugazi-inspired punk bands before launching his acting career with early roles in such independent films as Cory McAbee's sci-fi musical The American Astronaut and the controversial Larry Clark/Ed Lachman/Harmony Korine collaboration Ken Park. He scored his first major success as the hotheaded "Ziggy" Sobotka in the second season of HBO's classic series The Wire, which was filmed in his hometown.

Returning to features, he starred for John Waters in A Dirty Shame and for Spike Lee in Inside Man. He then went to Namibia, Africa for eight months to film an HBO miniseries with The Wire creative principals David Simon and Ed Burns; Mr. Ransone starred opposite Alexander Skarsgård in Generation Kill, about the 2003 American invasion of Iraq.

He would again work with HBO, in recurring roles on the series How to Make It in America and Treme; and with Spike Lee, in the features Red Hook Summer and Oldboy. He starred with Mark Strong and Lennie James on the television series Low Winter Sun.

Mr. Ransone's other features have included Paul Haggis' The Next Three Days; Allen Hughes' Broken City; The Son of No One and Empire State, both directed by Dito Montiel; and Michael Almereyda's Cymbeline, with Ethan Hawke. He also starred with Mr. Hawke in Sinister, directed by Scott Derrickson, originating the role of [Deputy] So & So which he now reprises.

With his colleagues from Sean Baker's acclaimed independent feature Starlet, Mr. Ransone shared the Spirit Awards' Robert Altman Award; the film was also nominated for the Spirits' John Cassavetes Award, among other accolades it received from the worldwide film community. He then reunited with Mr. Baker for another Los Angeles-set drama, Tangerine.

His more recent movies include In a Valley of Violence, reteaming with Ethan Hawke for writer/director Ti West; and Paco Cabezas' Mr. Right, with Anna Kendrick.

Gramercy Pictures