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James Ransone

Highest Rated: 96% Tangerine (2015)

Lowest Rated: 0% The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll (2009)

Birthday: Jun 2, 1979

Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, USA

James Ransone's life reads like a more adult Lifetime movie-of-the-week, or a slightly older version of Jim Carroll's "The Basketball Diaries." A sensitive, creative kid from Baltimore, Ransone (who goes by the nickname PJ) played in several Fugazi-inspired punk bands and started acting with early roles in indie films such as the sci-fi musical "The American Astronaut" (2001) and Harmony Korine's controversial "Ken Park" (2002). Ransone's intense demeanor, wiry energy and native Bawl'more accent led to his casting as the hot-headed Ziggy Sobotka in the second season of "The Wire" (HBO, 2002-08). After leaving the critically-acclaimed but low-rated series, he landed supporting roles as a dirt-obsessed sex addict in John Waters' "A Dirty Shame" (2004) and a desperate criminal in Spike Lee's "Inside Man" (2006). Although Ransone's professional career was on an upward trajectory, personally his life was going down the drain; he developed a sizable heroin addiction after moving to New York City, and eventually realized the only way to quit would be to do something even crazier. So he teamed up with David Simon and Ed Burns, creator and head writer of "The Wire," respectively, and moved to Namibia for eight months to make "Generation Kill" (HBO, 2008), a mini-series based on a Rolling Stone reporter's firsthand account of the 2003 American invasion of Iraq. His next few roles were considerably less dangerous, but no less compelling; among them were a tattooed farmer/fashion designer in HBO's "How To Make It in America" (2010-2011), and a stoner NYC transplant in Simon's "Treme" (HBO, 2010-13). With back-to-back roles in the semi-autobiographical "Red Hook Summer" (2012) and "Oldboy" (2013), the no-B.S. actor officially became a member of the Spike Lee Players. Ransone is all cleaned up, dressed up, and ready to go.

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Highest rated movies

96% 75% Tangerine
Watchlist
87% 69% Starlet
Watchlist
81% 88% The Black Phone Watchlist 78% 51% In a Valley of Violence Watchlist
73% 67% V/H/S/85
Watchlist
70% 40% Gemini Watchlist
66% 51% Freakonomics
Watchlist
65% 64% It Happened in L.A.
Watchlist
63% 62% Sinister Watchlist
63% 89% The American Astronaut
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
73% 67% V/H/S/85 Bobby (Character) - 2023
81% 88% The Black Phone Max (Character) $89.9M 2021
63% 65% What We Found Steven (Character) $6.8K 2020
62% 78% It: Chapter Two Eddie Kaspbrak (Character) $211.6M 2019
42% 40% Captive State Patrick Ellison (Character) $5.9M 2019
35% No Score Yet Write When You Get Work Steven Noble (Character) - 2018
No Score Yet 8% Family Blood Christopher (Character) - 2018
70% 40% Gemini Stan (Character) $123.5K 2017
65% 64% It Happened in L.A. Heath (Character) - 2017
78% 51% In a Valley of Violence Gilly (Character) $50.4K 2016
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bloomin Mud Shuffle Lonnie (Character) - 2015
45% 57% Mr. Right Von Cartigan (Character) - 2015
No Score Yet 78% The Timber Wyatt (Character) - 2015
14% 31% Sinister 2 Ex-Deputy So & So (Character) $27.7M 2015
96% 75% Tangerine Chester (Character) $701.8K 2015
No Score Yet 43% Kristy Scott (Character) - 2014
39% 37% Oldboy Dr. Tom Melby (Character) $2.2M 2013
No Score Yet 24% Empire State Agent Nugent (Character) - 2013
26% 40% Broken City Todd Lancaster (Character) $19.7M 2013
87% 69% Starlet Mikey (Character) $86.2K 2012
63% 62% Sinister Deputy (Character) $48.1M 2012
57% 34% Red Hook Summer Kevin (Character) $334.7K 2012
66% 51% Freakonomics Unknown (Character) $100.7K 2010
0% 50% The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll Chip Genson (Character) - 2009
9% 38% Prom Night Det. Nash (Character) $43.8M 2008
No Score Yet 46% The Good Humor Man Junebug (Character) - 2004
46% 54% Ken Park Tate (Character) - 2002
63% 89% The American Astronaut Bodysuit (Character) $37.5K 2001
No Score Yet No Score Yet Tangerine - Independent Chester (Character) -

TV

Credit
No Score Yet 85% SEAL Team Reiss Julian (Guest Star) 2020
86% 57% 50 States of Fright Sebastian (Character) 2020
No Score Yet No Score Yet Conan Guest 2019
66% 75% The First Nick Fletcher (Character) 2018
79% 53% Mosaic Michael O'Connor (Character) 2018
41% 62% Low Winter Sun Damon Callis (Character) 2013
97% 87% Treme Nick (Guest Star) 2011-2012
No Score Yet 69% Hawaii Five-0 Unknown (Guest Star) 2011
88% 95% Burn Notice Dennis Wayne Barfield (Guest Star) 2010
86% 93% Generation Kill Unknown (Character) 2008
54% 85% Jericho Unknown (Guest Star) 2007
No Score Yet 83% Law & Order Unknown (Guest Star) 2006
85% No Score Yet Love Monkey Unknown (Guest Star) 2006
No Score Yet 81% CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Zack Capola (Guest Star) 2005
94% 96% The Wire Chester "Ziggy" Sobotka (Character) 2003
No Score Yet No Score Yet Ed Unknown (Guest Star) 2002