The Wire star Bobby J. Brown has died aged 62 after being caught in a barn fire.
The actor died on Tuesday, February 24.
A spokesperson for the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said the cause of death was ruled as diffuse thermal injury and smoke inhalation, with the manner of death determined to be an accident.
Speaking to People, Brown’s daughter Reina described the moment she learned of her father’s death as “a huge loss”, recalling a late-night phone call that shattered the evening.
“I was sound asleep. I had gone to bed about two hours before,” she said. “My little sister [was] freaking out, saying that Dad's gone and that he got caught up in a barn fire, and I'm like, 'What do you mean?' ”
“I literally went outside and put both my feet on my front walk,” she continued. “It's cold, and I stood out in my bare feet in a nightgown because I wanted to make sure I was really awake.
“I did that to make sure I was in actual reality and not dreaming this up, and then I did it for a grounding exercise. I couldn't believe it. I was like, this isn't real. And I still don't even feel like it's real.”
Reina said that as the fire spread, Brown had called for a fire extinguisher
“Everybody is still trying to process it,” she added. “It's been difficult for all of us.”
Brown’s agent, Albert Bramante, paid tribute in a statement.
Bramante wrote: “Bobby J. Brown was an actor of immense talent and even greater integrity. He approached his work with a discipline and a passion that were truly inspiring to witness.”
“While his career included many notable performances, it was his unwavering dedication to the craft of acting that defined him as an artist,” he added. “We are deeply saddened by this loss and ask for privacy for his family and loved ones during this time.”
Born and raised in Washington, DC, Brown first built a reputation as a boxer, winning five Golden Glove Championships.
After training under Carmen Graziano and competing professionally, he turned to acting, moving to New York to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
He went on to appear in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Homicide: Life on the Street, HBO’s The Wire, The Corner and We Own This City.
Beyond acting, Brown directed two documentaries: Off the Chain, examining the abuse of American pit bull terriers, and Tear the Roof Off: The Untold Story of Parliament Funkadelic.
According to his IMDb, he donated a third of the profits from Off the Chain to the Humane Society of the United States to support protection of the breed.
