PremiumBeloved 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' star Andre Braugher dies at 61 after a brief illness
Andre Braugher became a household name with his iconic role as Captain Raymond Holt in the cop-comedy series.
Last Updated: 09.04 AM, Dec 13, 2023
Actor Andre Braugher, who won two Emmys for his roles in Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Homicide: Life on the Street, passed away on Monday following a short illness at 61. Braugher's publicist, Jennifer Allen, informed Variety of his death.
Career highlights and awards
From 2013 through 2021, Braugher portrayed the morally upstanding Captain Raymond Holt in the hit cop comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine. In 1998, his final year on the NBC series Homicide: Life on Street, he earned a lead actor Emmy for his portrayal of Detective Frank Pembleton. David Simon, a former Baltimore Sun reporter and author of the 1991 nonfiction book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, along with Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson, created the critically acclaimed police drama that Braugher became known for with his powerful portrayal. In 2006, Braugher's portrayal of a master crook in FX's series Thief earned him yet another Emmy for miniseries or movie.
In a cover article for Variety in 2020, Braugher addressed the complex legacy of his extensive acting career as police officers. Defending the law by breaching the law is a deadly slippery slope that police officers should avoid. According to him, it has legitimised and excused lawlessness worldwide. All police dramas will have to work together to solve the problem.
Early life and acting career
Braugher, who was born in Chicago, attended Stanford University and the Juilliard School of Drama. In his film debut, Glory, he portrayed Thomas Searles, a free Black man who enlists in the first Black regiment, and he served as a Union soldier. After starring as Kojak's sidekick in the Kojak TV movie revival, he went on to star in Homicide: Life on the Street.
From 2002 to 2004, he was a detective on Hack, and subsequently, he portrayed a psychiatrist on House, M.D. Two Primetime Emmy nominations for supporting actor went to Braugher for his role in Men of a Certain Age. In addition to his growing TV career, he kept popping up in feature films like City of Angels, Frequency, Poseidon, Primal Fear, Duets, The Mist, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Salt, and The Gambler.
Personal life
He told Variety that being with his family took precedence over pursuing a major acting career. In his own words, it could have been larger, despite the fact that his career has been fascinating. It missed an opportunity to incorporate new fields, such as directing, producing, and all these others. However, his own life would have been sacrificed in the process.
Ami Brabson, who co-starred with him in Homicide: Life on the Street, is his wife, and they have three children together.