Al Brown, 'The Wire' Star, Dies at 83

Al Brown, a U.S. Air Force veteran who turned to acting later in life and gave an acclaimed performance in The Wire as Col. Stan Valchek, died on Friday. He was 83. Brown's daughter, Jenny, told TMZ Brown died after a battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Brown died on Friday in Las Vegas, his daughter said. She added that he honorably served two tours in the Vietnam War with the Air Force before he became an actor in the 1990s. He loved meeting and who recognized him for his work on The Wire and was happy to be associated with the HBO series. Brown is survived by his children and extended family.

The actor had a recurring role on The Wire, appearing in 20 episodes as a high-ranking Baltimore police department official who clashed with the main characters. Valchek was introduced in the Season 1 episode "The Buys" and had an important season-long arc in Season 2. He appeared in 20 episodes in total, including the finale, "-30-." All five seasons of The Wire are available on HBO Max.

Brown made his acting debut in a 1995 episode of Homicide: Life on the Street. He also appeared in episodes of The F.B.I. Files, Forensic Files, Rescue Me, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Commander in Chief, The Hustler, and Maron. He had small roles in the films 12 Monkeys, The Replacements, and Red Dragon. His final credited appearance came in the Adult Swim Infomercials short "Fartcopter."

Brown's death comes just over two months after he announced his retirement on Facebook. His page is now filled with fans offering their condolences to his family. "I'm so sorry to hear that. I deeply enjoyed his performance on The Wire... Valchek is like JR Ewing, that character you just love to hate while knowing the actor behind it all is a treasure," one person wrote. "Sending prayers and love to the family and all of his friends. He was a wonderful man. In our hearts, he will live forever. Fly high Al," another commented.

"Condolences to you and his family. Stan Valchek is one of the all-time great characters and... he will always be remembered for that," another fan wrote on Facebook. "He left an indelible mark on one of the best television shows of all time. We are truly grateful for all the laughs."