"But because he passed away..." - Sterling K. Brown reveals why he stopped going by his middle name

Sterling K. Brown revealed why he stopped going by his middle name, and Kelly Clarkson was moved by the revelation. The actor, known for roles in movies and TV shows like Black Panther, Waves, This Is Us, and Invincible, revealed on The Kelly Clarkson Show on April 7, 2025, that it was because his father had passed away. He said, "But because he passed away...I kind of just want to hear that name again.

Up until the age of sixteen, the Emmy-winning actor went by Kelby in wanting to create his own identity. He told Clarkson,

“I went by Kelby until I was 16 years old. My dad’s name is Sterling Brown Jr., my grandfather’s Sterling Brown Sr. I’m Sterling Kelby Brown.”

He continued,

“I wanted my own name, and it felt like Sterling was like an old man’s name.”

Everything changed when his father died. Over the years as he grew up, he had an emotional draw towards the name he had once rejected. He told Clarkson,

"But because he passed away when I was 10, by the time I turned 16 and I hadn't heard his name for five-and-a-half years, I was like, I kind of just want to hear that name again, so I asked people to call me Sterling."

Clarkson was moved after hearing this revelation of Sterling. She told him,

“That was so sweet and beautiful.”

Sterling Brown, who by his time also became a bit emotional, said,

“It’s all good.”

The discussion started when Clarkson related a tale about her 8-year-old son, Remington “Remy” Alexander, using his middle name to introduce himself at a red carpet-event. Brown saw that and was reminded of his own experiences while growing up. To which Clarkson said,

"You wanted identity," to which Sterling Brown agreed to.

Then went on to talk about Brown's Paradise TV show, where he plays a Secret Service agent.

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Another story about Sterling K. Brown Jr:

In a separate interview, Sterling K. Brown shared another anecdote about his father to the Sunday Times in 2019,

“I remember really specific things [about the day he died], waking up that morning and going into the kitchen, and my mom being on the phone, calling the paramedics and asking me to put clothes on my dad, because he was naked in the bed and his body was stiff.”

Sterling went on to say,

“He looks at me over the railing and he winks, just winks," as the paramedics carried his father away.

"They carry him out the door, last time I saw him.”

He acknowledged that his time with his father "was short," but he still treasures the memories.

Talking about his father, he said,

“I will say this about Sterling Brown, Jr.: He filled me up with so much love. It was everything that I could've hoped for 10 years.”

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Sterling K. Brown's journey in Hollywood

Sterling K. Brown, who is now well-known due to his significant parts in American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson and This Is Us, never had to take up any side gigs when he started. This was rare in Hollywood, but according to his manager Jennifer Wiley-Moxley, who spoke to Variety, it was possible because of his modest living style. She revealed,

“He rented a room in a Harlem townhouse, didn’t have his own bathroom, couldn’t afford a gym membership,He would get a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts and eat them in front of me at my desk like, ‘Well, these are my calories for the day!’”

Sterling K. Brown made his name from the TV show, This Is Us which ended three years ago but is still famous for the portrayal of Randall Pearson.

His new show, called Paradise, is streaming on Hulu and airing on ABC. Where Sterling K. Brown plays a Secret Service agent who is investigating the President's death. The show has had over seven million views in its first week and a "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

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