The curse of The Wire: How star-studded show faced devastating grief and sudden deaths… as colleagues mourn James Ransone

Over the years, The Wire has earned its place as one of the most influential TV shows ever made – praised for its realism, empathy, and unflinching portrayal of American institutions. 

Yet for many fans, revisiting the HBO crime drama has become increasingly bittersweet, as several key stars from the noughties series have since passed away. 

The tragic suicide of actor James Ransone at the age of 46 last week marked the seventh death of a cast member from the iconic show. 

Ransone’s shock passing followed the deaths of his co-stars Lance Reddick, Michael K. Williams, Reg E. Cathey, and Robert F. Chew, all younger than 60 years old. 

The man whose life inspired the show, reformed drug kingpin Melvin Williams, also died at the age of 73 just a few years after the series stopped airing. 

Charley Scalies, who played Horseface Pakusa in season two of the show, became the latest star to pass away before Ransone in May this year at the age of 84. 

Best known for playing Ziggy Sobotka, father-of-two Ransone died by suicide in a shed in Los Angeles on Friday, his heartbroken family and friends confirmed. 

His widow, Jamie McPhee, led the tributes to the beloved actor with a gut-wrenching Instagram post showing an image of him cradling her baby bump. 

Actor Wendell Pierce, who starred in The Wire, also addressed Ransone’s death on X, writing: ‘Sorry I couldn’t be there for you, brother. Rest in Peace James Ransone.’ 

Director Andy Muschietti, who worked with Ransone on It Chapter Two, took to Instagram to share two separate tribute posts, saying he felt ‘lucky’ to have met the actor, and thanked him for ‘touching our lives’. 

Ransone opened up in 2021 about being sexually abused by his math tutor in 1992, and that this trauma sparked alcohol and heroin addictions later in life. 

He also spoke candidly about addiction and recovery, revealing in a 2016 Interview Magazine profile that he got sober at age 27 after years of heroin use.

‘People think I got sober working on the ‘Generation Kill.’ I didn’t,’ he said at the time.

‘I sobered up six or seven months before that. I remember going to Africa and I was going to be there for almost a year. 

‘I was number two on the call sheet and I was like, ‘I think somebody made a mistake. This is too much responsibility for me.’

Lance Reddick, died aged 60 

Ransone’s death came after another key star of The Wire, Lance Reddick, who played Cedric Daniels, died at the age of 60 on March 17, 2023. 

His death sparked a wave of controversy after TMZ reported that he died of ischemic heart disease – but his family said this was inconsistent with his lifestyle and claimed he passed due to natural causes. 

Michael K. Williams, died aged 54 

Less than two years earlier, in September 2021, Michael K. Williams, who played the central character in The Wire, Omar Little, was found dead of a suspected overdose. 

The 54-year-old was discovered unconscious and face-down in the living room of his Williamsburg apartment by his nephew, Dominic Dupont, after taking heroin. 

A doorman subsequently called 911 claiming Williams was ‘unresponsive’ and ‘felt cold’. Medics rushed to the scene, but declared the actor dead at 2:12pm.

Dupont opened up about the tragedy the following year while speaking with Jada Pinkett Smith on an episode of Red Table Talk about deadly opiate fentanyl. 

He revealed that Williams, who had battled addiction in the past, seemed as though he was ‘doing well’ in the months before he died. 

‘I think a lot of what happened — what I saw on September 6 — I’m still processing,’ Dupont said.

‘Michael was an amazing human being.’

He said when he found Williams, he knew immediately that he had died, surrounded by drug paraphernalia. 

Reg E. Cathey, died aged 59 

Another star of The Wire, Reg E. Cathey passed away aged 59 from lung cancer at his home in New York City. 

Cathey, who also featured in House of Cards, played political operative Norman Wilson in seasons four and five of The Wire. 

Melvin Williams, died aged 73 

Several years prior, in December 2015, Melvin Williams, the man who inspired the entire TV series, died at the age of 73. 

Williams was a reformed drug kingpin who built up a Baltimore drug empire before turning his life around and later starring in the show as Deacon.

Also known as ‘Little Melvin,’ Williams built up a drug empire before being sentenced to 35 years in prison for drug trafficking in 1985.

He was paroled in 1996 but was back behind bars for assault in 2000, before being released again in 2003, reports Deadline Hollywood.

David Simon – then a journalist for The Baltimore Sun – interviewed Williams while he was incarcerated, and wrote a series of articles about his rise and fall in the drug trade, which he later used to create The Wire. 

Robert F. Chew, died aged 52 

Two years before Williams’ death, Robert F. Chew, who portrayed one of the drug kingpins, Proposition Joe, died from a heart attack in his Baltimore home. 

Chew was 52 when he passed away on January 17, 2013. 

Charles Scalies, died aged 84 

Earlier this year, The Wire alumnus Charles Scalies, who also featured in The Sopranos, died at the age of 84 following a battle with Alzheimer’s. 

The Wire aired from 2002 to 2008 and is widely regarded as one of the most influential television dramas of all time.

Its ensemble cast also included Dominic West, Michael Kenneth Williams, Idris Elba, Wendell Pierce, Wood Harris, John Doman, Frankie Faison and Lawrence Gilliard Jr.