The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner has confirmed that Ethan Browne, a 52-year-old beloved father, brother, and longtime Angeleno, died unexpectedly at his home in the San Fernando Valley on the evening of November 25, 2025.
While the cause and manner of death remain under investigation and have not yet been released, sources close to the family say Browne was found unresponsive by a relative who stopped by for a planned early Thanksgiving-week dinner. Despite immediate efforts by paramedics, he could not be revived.
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Those who knew Ethan best describe him as the quintessential “guy you could call at 2 a.m.”—a warm, quick-witted man who spent more than two decades working behind the scenes in the entertainment industry as a grip and lighting technician on countless film and television sets. Colleagues on recent productions remember him as the one who always had an extra pair of gloves for a freezing night shoot, a terrible dad joke ready to break tension, and an uncanny ability to fix anything with duct tape and optimism.
“Ethan was family to half of Local 80,” said one longtime crew member. “He’d give you the shirt off his back, then roast you for needing it in the first place. Sets are going to feel a lot colder without him.”
Born in Santa Monica and raised in the Valley, Browne was a proud graduate of Reseda High School and an even prouder father to his 19-year-old daughter, Riley, a sophomore at Cal State Northridge. Friends say he spent his rare days off coaching her former travel-softball team or tinkering with vintage motorcycles in his garage while blasting Springsteen and Tom Petty.
In the hours since the news broke quietly among industry circles, tributes have poured in on private Facebook groups and union message boards:
“Rest easy, Brownie. Thanks for every sunrise call time you made bearable.”
“Still can’t believe I won’t hear that laugh echoing across a soundstage again.”
“Tell St. Peter the coffee’s terrible up there—he’ll know how to fix it.”
The family has asked for privacy as they grieve and finalize arrangements. A celebration of life open to Ethan’s vast extended film-family and friends is being planned for mid-December at a Valley location he loved. Details will be announced once available.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Motion Picture & Television Fund or the Behind the Scenes mental health initiative—two causes Ethan quietly supported throughout his career.
Ethan Browne is survived by his daughter Riley, his parents, two sisters, and an army of brothers and sisters from grip trucks and lighting rigs across Los Angeles who will carry his stories—and his tools—for the rest of their days.
Rest easy, Ethan. The call sheet just got a little shorter, but the memories run long. 🎬❤️