Bobby J. Brown, the actor popularly known for his role as Officer Bobby Brown in the HBO series The Wire, has died at the age of 62.
According to People, a representative for the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed Brown died on Tuesday (Feb. 24) from smoke inhalation after being caught in a barn fire. The manner of death has been ruled an accident.
His daughter Reina tells People that she found out about her father’s passing when she was woken up by a phone call from her sister around 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
“I was sound asleep. I had gone to bed about two hours before,” she recalled. “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?’”
Brown walked into the barn to jump-start a vehicle when a fire erupted. The actor called a family member to retrieve a fire extinguisher, but when they arrived, the barn was already engulfed in flames, as reported by TMZ. In an attempt to save him, his wife sustained severe burns.
“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,” his agent Albert Bramante told People.
“While his career included many notable performances, it was his unwavering dedication to the craft of acting that defined him as an artist," Bramante added. "We are deeply saddened by this loss and ask for privacy for his family and loved ones during this time.”
Brown made his TV debut in Homicide: Life on the Street in 1998. He also appeared in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as well as the HBO miniseries The Corner and We Own This City.
