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André Braugher, the dynamic actor who starred in hit shows Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Homicide: Life on the Street has died. He was 61.
The two-time Emmy winner succumbed to a brief illness, according to Braugher’s longtime publicist Jennifer Allen. His death was first reported by Deadline.
The actor was known for his role as the openly proud Black and gay Captain Raymond Holt on police procedural comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which ran from 2013 to 2021. Stoic, no-nonsense, and deadpan, the character quickly become a fan favourite with his compassion and deep sense of humanity, scoring some of the best scenes when sharing the spotlight with Andy Samberg’s Detective Jake Peralta. He won two Critics Choice Awards for best supporting actor in a comedy series and received four Emmy nominations for his performance.
Before Captain Holt, though, there was Detective Frank Pembleton. Braugher portrayed the tenacious, arrogant cop from 1992 to 1998, nabbing his first Emmy for the role. This came after his breakout performance in 1989’s Glory, where he starred alongside Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington.
Braugher would go on to win a his second trophy for lead actor in a miniseries or movie for the 2006 limited series Thief on FX, starring as the leader of a heist balancing a high-stakes operation with family struggles. Throughout his three-decade career, he was nominated for an Emmy a total of 11 times, with most of his roles circling the military and police, including the beloved Captain Holt.
Baugher’s demise has opened the floodgates for an outpour of tributes from his Brooklyn Nine-Nine family. Terry Crews, who played Terry Jeffords in the comedy, took to Instagram to mourn the loss of his co-star, sharing how he was honoured to have spent eight years on the show together.
“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,” Crews wrote. “This hurts. You left us too soon. You taught me so much. I will be forever grateful for the experience of knowing you.”
He continued, “Thank you for your wisdom, your advice, your kindness and your friendship. Deepest condolences to your wife and family in this difficult time. You showed me what a life well lived looks like.”
Marc Evan Jackson, Braugher’s television husband in the sitcom, also paid homage to the late actor, sharing a picture of them on the set of Brooklyn Nine-Nine with the caption, “O Captain. My Captain.”
“Andre Braugher was a giant, a genius, an artist, a legend, and a force,” Jackson said in a separate statement. “Andre elevated every moment he came anywhere near, and it was an honor to have known and worked with him. My deepest condolences to his family, and all those who like all of us, loved him very much.”
Chelsea Peretti, who portrayed Holt’s narcissistic assistant Gina Linetti until her departure from Season 6, weighed in with an image of the captain holding a painting of himself. “Love you ❤️ Will miss your dulcet tones,” she wrote in the caption. “Forever lucky to have gone on such a journey with you. Ringside seat. You were so funny to me and the epitome of still waters run deep.”
“I will always cherish our conversations, often with me hanging in your doorway barring your exit, and the insane opportunity to be your sidekick. Is it weird that I am also grieving for what Captain Holt meant to Gina? I really hoped and knew I would see you again. Hate that I won’t 💔,” added Peretti.
The executive producers behind the show, including co-creators Dan Goor and Michael Schur, had plenty to share about Braugher, highlighting that his greatest acting talent was “the happiness and joy he brought to those around him”.
“Like everyone who was fortunate enough to know Andre, we are heartbroken by the news of his passing. He was one of the most talented dramatic actors in history, and then he decided to try comedy, and he was instantly one of the funniest people ever to do it,” read a statement shared with Deadline. “But even greater than his acting talent was the happiness and joy he brought to those around him. And his smile… he had the greatest, brightest, most wonderful smile. Our thoughts and love go to his beautiful, amazing family, whom he loved more than anything. We are grateful for the time we had with him.”
Writer Prentice Penny wrote on X/Twitter the following: “RIP #andrebraugher One of my favorite memories of him was one day on set, he was like I follow you on Twitter – you’re funny. I said, ‘oh what’s your handle so I can follow you too.’ He said, ‘No. I like it that you don’t know it’s me.’ We both fell out. He was a good man.”
Rest in peace, good sir.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
