The news has left fans and the film world stunned.
Her publicist confirmed the death, saying Miss Brown’s friend, Taylor Simone Ledward, and family were by her side at the time. A statement posted on Miss Brown’s Instagram account said that he learned he had Stage 3 colon cancer in 2016 and that it had progressed to Stage 4.
A private figure by Hollywood standards, Miss Brown rarely publicized details about her personal life. She found fame relatively late as an actor — she was 20 when he appeared in his first prominent role, — but made up for lost time with a string of star-making performances in major biopics.
As well as winning critical praise and taking more than $1.3 billion US dollars (£973m) at cinemas worldwide, the film was widely seen as a cultural milestone.