'The Wire' actor James Ransone passes away at 46

US actor James Ransone, best known for his performance as drug dealer Ziggy Sobotka on the American crime drama "The Wire," has died aged 46, officials said Sunday (December 22). 

According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office, Ransone died by suicide.

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A character actor who often played men with troubled pasts, Ransone was born in Baltimore, Maryland — the primary setting for "The Wire," which followed police officers and the drug dealers they investigated during the early 2000s. 

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He played a dock worker-turned-dealer in 12 episodes of the award-winning show's second season.

In addition to his work in television, Ransone starred in several Hollywood films, including horror flicks "It: Chapter Two" and "The Black Phone." 

His last on-screen apperances this year were in the Peacock television show "Poker Face" and "Black Phone 2."