For the past six seasons, DuShon Monique Brown has starred on NBC's hit drama, Chicago Fire, as Connie. The assistant to Chief Boden, Connie was a no-nonsense gruff character who revealed a warmer side over the course of the show. Sadly, for Chicago Fire and TV fans everywhere, Brown tragically passed away on Friday. She was 49 years old.
According to the Chicago Tribune, DuShon Monique Brown passed away Friday after 12 p.m. at the St. James Health Olympia Fields hospital just outside of Chicago. No cause of death has been revealed yet and an autopsy has been scheduled to take place on Saturday.
DuShon Monique Brown is perhaps best known for playing Connie, a recurring character on Chicago Fire since the series launched in 2012. Connie was frequently portrayed as a witty and gruff character who nevertheless cared deeply for the firefighters of the station -- no matter how much they may have frustrated her. Before her death, Brown revealed that her character didn't even have a name, and was just there for the one-liners. However, she was excited to be auditioning for a Chicago-based show, and felt that there was a possibility for her character to grow and develop into something bigger.
Brown appeared in 54 episodes of the series, including last week's two-part event. It's currently unknown how the show will handle Brown's real-life death. Executive producer Dick Wolf said in a statement that the Chicago Fire family "is devastated to lose one of its own" and their thoughts and prayers are with Brown's family.
The actress was known for a number of memorable TV roles, and was for making smaller roles feel bigger. She starred for 13 episodes on Fox's Prison Break as infirmary nurse Katie Welch, and had guest roles on shows such as Empire and Shameless. Her most recent role was as a guest star in the Amazon series, Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams.
Brown graduated from Whitney Young High School and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, earning a graduate degree from Governors State University. A longtime Chicago stage actor, Brown performed at the Goodman, Victory Gardens, Lookingglass, Drury Lane, MPAACT and Pegasus Players in Chicago. She also once worked at Kenwood Academy High School as a crisis counselor. Additionally, she led the school's drama program.
We here at CinemaBlend offer our deepest condolences to DuShon Monique Brown's family and friends at this time. Brown is survived by her daughter, Zoe.
Chicago Fire airs Thursday at 10 p.m. EST on NBC. There is sure to be an announcement regarding the future of Connie in the near future, so keep checking back in with CinemaBlend and we'll be sure to update you as soon as the information is available.
