# DuShon Monique Brown

DuShon Monique Brown (November 30, 1968 – March 23, 2018) was an American actress known for her performances as Nurse Katie Welch on the Fox series Prison Break and Connie in the NBC series Chicago Fire from 2012 until her death in 2018.

## Early life and education

Brown was born in Chicago on November 30, 1968, to Zachary M. Brown and Liz Colburn. She was a graduate of Whitney M. Young Magnet High School and Governors State University, with a master's degree in school counseling. Brown previously worked at Chicago's South Shore International College Preparatory High School as the guidance counselor, and at Kenwood Academy High School as a crisis counselor and drama instructor.

## Career
### Early career

Brown was active in theater in her hometown for many years. Her first performance on television was 2003's made-for-TV movie Skin Complex. From 2005 to 2007, she was on Prison Break. Brown appeared in 2011's The Dilemma in an uncredited role. Brown was in 2012's romantic comedy One Small Hitch.

### Chicago Fire

In 2012, Brown began playing the recurring role of Connie on Chicago Fire. Of her time on the TV show, Brown said in an interview with Hidden Remote, "She was a secretary and had a single speech. But I auditioned because it was a new series in Chicago Fire and had the possibility that she could become. She sees herself, especially with the younger members of the team, as a kind of mother, aunt, teacher. Eamonn and I, we play when I'm on the set that Connie is the boss's working wife and all the rest are her kids, they wrote Connie as that motherly figure that everyone seems to run away from. I'm just a goofy, geeky Chicagoan who plays the violin, likes karaoke, embraces the trees, loves to be appreciated for her work and dreams of playing a superhero in the movies." She was asked how she would feel about a spinoff called Chicago Ed or Chicago Shelter by reporter Andrew Crist, who noted Brown's master's degree in counseling and background in social work; Brown replied, "I’m there! If they pull that show out, I will be an actor and a consultant! Trust me."

### Later career

Brown guest-starred in Boss in 2012 and Shameless in 2013. She was in 2015's Unexpected. Brown was also in 2015's A Light Beneath Their Feet. In 2015, she guest-starred on Empire. Brown guest-starred on Electric Dreams in 2017. Also in 2017, she was in the comedy film Surprise Me! written and directed by Nancy Goodman and based on the book of the same name by Goodman. Her last role was in 2017's made-for-TV movie Public Housing Unit.

## Personal life and death

Brown had one child: a daughter, Zoe. She had one brother and two sisters: Zachary Brown Jr., Zaire King, and Jamyra Siek. Brown checked herself into the hospital earlier in the week of her death, after experiencing chest pains, but was released after undergoing tests. She died at St. James Olympia Fields Hospital on March 23, 2018. The Cook County coroner scheduled an autopsy on March 24, 2018. On May 31, 2018, the Cook County Medical examiner confirmed the death was the result of sepsis of an unknown etiology.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2011 | The Dilemma | Weiner Circle Worker | Comedy-drama film directed by Ron Howard and written by Allan Loeb Uncredited |
| 2012 | One Small Hitch | Unflappable Nurse | Romantic comedy film directed by John Burgess and written by Dode B. Levenson |
| 2015 | Unexpected | Principal Clements | Drama film directed & co–written by Kris Swanberg and Megan Mercier Credited as DuShon Brown |
| 2015 | A Light Beneath Their Feet | Cindy | Drama film directed by Valerie Weiss |
| 2017 | Surprise Me! | Shirley | Comedy film written and directed by Nancy Goodman Based on the book of the same name by Goodman |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2003 | Skin Complex | Laurie | Made-for-TV-movie directed by Jim Friedman and Brad Pruitt |
| 2005–07 | Prison Break | Katie Welch | Recurring (season 1), guest (season 2) |
| 2012–18 | Chicago Fire | Connie | Recurring |
| 2012 | Boss | Large Inmate | Episodes: "Louder Than Words" (S 2:Ep 1) "Through and Through" (S 2:Ep 2) |
| 2013 | Shameless | Teresa | Episode: "May I Trim Your Hedges?" (S 3:Ep 3) |
| 2015 | Empire | Ilene | Episode: "Poor Yorick" (S 1:Ep 10) Credited as DuShon M. Brown |
| 2017 | Electric Dreams | Peace Sergeant | Episode: "Kill All Others" |
| 2017 | Public Housing Unit | Commander Roberta | Made-for-TV-movie directed by Daniel Willis |

### Theatre

| Venue | Title | Role | Notes |
| Pegasus Players Theatre | For Her as a Piano | Mutha Ku/Dirk | September 30 – November 1, 2015 |
| Chicago Dramatists | Hope VI | Queenie | 2009 |
| Piven Theatre Workshop | Because They Have No Words | Actor 3 and Others | May 11 – June 15, 2008 March 6 – April 11, 2010 |
| Victory Gardens Theater | Shoes | Miss Viola | |
| Drury Lane Theatre | Little Shop of Horrors | Ronette | |
| Lookingglass Theatre Company | Summertime | Barbara/Violinist | |
| Chicago Theatre | Love Child | Miss Fanny | |
| Goodman Theatre | The Amen Corner | Ensemble | |
| MPAACT | Christ T | Maximillian | |
| Steppenwolf Theatre Company | Division Street: America | Louise/Lois | |
| Apple Tree Theatre | Once on this Island | Mama Euralie | |
| Chicago Theatre | Journal of Ordinary Thought | Actress #2 | |
| Chicago Theatre | Train is Comin | Maggie Porter | |
| Chicago Theatre | Shakin' the mess Outta Misery | Miss Corrine | |
| Steppenwolf Theatre Company | Our Town | Stage Manager | |
| Lifeline Theatre | Praying for Sheetrock | Mary/Belle/Louise | |
| ETA Creative Arts Foundation | This Far By Faith | Viola Benson | |