McPhee also shared a link to a GoFundMe page for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
During his life, he spoke openly of the sexual abuse he suffered from a tutor while growing up in Maryland. In an Instagram post from 2021, he wrote of the abuse and said it led to “a lifetime of shame and embarrassment.” According to the actor, the incident triggered his addictions to alcohol and heroin, according to the BBC.
Fans and friends honored Ransone on the social media.
Wendell Pierce posted on X, “Sorry I couldn’t be there for you, brother. Rest in Peace James Ransone.”
Director Spike Lee shared a photo of them together and wrote on Instagram: “Rest In Peace To My Dear Brother, MR. JAMES RANSONE. We Rocked Together On RED HOOK SUMMER And INSIDE MAN.”
Sean Baker, the Oscar-winning director of Anora who worked with Ransone on the films Starlet (2012) and Tangerine (2015), wrote, “I’ll miss you dearly my friend.”
