Actor Andre Braugher, known for his roles as Captain Raymond Holt in Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Detective Frank Pembleton in Homicide: Life on the Street from 1993 to 1998, has died. He was 61. The versatile actor's death was confirmed by his agents, who said that it came after a brief illness as he died peacefully at his home.
Playing Raymond Holt in 153 episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine from 2013 to 2021, he earned four Primetime Emmy nominations for his notable contributions to the series. Braugher amassed a total of 11 Emmy nominations in his career, spanning various projects like Men of a Certain Age, Gideon's Crossing, and The Tuskegee Airmen.
Untimely Death
Braugher also played detective Frank Pembleton in more than 100 episodes on Homicide: Life on the Street. He won two Emmys in his career. The first was in 1998 for his role on Homicide: Life on the Street in the category of lead actor in a drama series.
The second win came in 2006 for his portrayal of Nick Atwater in Thief, in the category of lead actor in a miniseries or movie.
Braugher is survived by his wife of over 30 years, Ami Brabson, along with their three sons, Michael, Isaiah, and John.
His family also includes his brother Charles Jennings and mother Sally Braugher.
News of the actor's passing was first reported by Deadline and later confirmed to Variety by his representative, Jennifer Allen.
Braugher made his debut in feature films with the 1989 movie Glory, directed by Edward Zwick and starring Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, and Matthew Broderick.
In the film, he portrayed Union soldier Thomas Searles. The following year, he co-starred with the late Telly Savalas in the TV film Kojak: It's Always Something, taking on the role of Detective Winston Blake.
Braugher also made notable appearances on various TV shows, including Men of a Certain Age, Hack, Gideon's Crossing, House, M.D., and The Good Fight.
In addition to his live-action roles, he lent his voice to animated shows like BoJack Horseman, Jackie Chan Adventures, and Axe Cop.
Braugher's cinematic journey included a diverse range of films. His notable appearances on the silver screen included movies such as City of Angels, The Mist, Frequency, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Salt, The Gambler, Primal Fear, Poseidon, Duets, and She Said.
Active Till His Last Days
Braugher was born in Chicago in 1962 as the youngest of four children. He pursued his interest in theatre, studying on a Stanford scholarship and later attending the Juilliard School for drama.
According to IMDb, Braugher had two unreleased projects in the pipeline. One was a voice role in Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, and the other was a miniseries titled The Residence, which was currently in production.
In a 2020 interview with Variety, Braugher discussed his history of portraying law enforcement roles, especially in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd.
"Cops breaking the law to quote, 'Defend the law,' is a real terrible slippery slope," he said at the time. "It has given license to the breaking of law everywhere, justified it and excused it.
"That's something that we're going to have to collectively address - all cop shows."
Social media was flooded with tributes to Braugher in the wake of his death. Numerous co-stars, colleagues, and fans expressed their grief and shared memories of the actor, offering condolences to his family during this difficult time.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Terry Crews said, "Can't believe you're gone so soon. I'm honored to have known you, laughed with you, worked with you and shared 8 glorious years watching your irreplaceable talent. This hurts. You left us too soon."
Terry Crews expressed his gratitude for Braugher, mentioning that Braugher taught him "so much." Crews conveyed that he was "forever grateful for the experience of knowing" the late actor.
"Thank you for your wisdom, your advice, your kindness and your friendship," Crews said. "Deepest condolences to your wife and family in this difficult time. You showed me what a life well lived looks like."
He wrapped up in writing, "Rest In Peace, Andre. I love you, man."
Actor Marc Evan Jackson, known for his role in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, shared a photo of himself with Andre Braugher, captioning it with a poignant reference: "O Captain. My Captain."
