As confirmed by his publicist, Andre Braugher, renowned for portraying Captain Ray Holt in Brooklyn Nine-Nine and other notable roles, has passed away. The Emmy-winning actor, celebrated for his performances on Homicide: Life on The Street and Brooklyn 99, succumbed to a brief illness at the age of 61 on Monday, as reported by Jennifer Allen to The Associated Press.
Andre Braugher: A Trailblazer in Hollywood
Breaking through in 1989’s Glory alongside Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington, Andre Braugher, a Chicago-born actor, faced challenges finding work in Hollywood for African American actors, as he mentioned to The Associated Press in 2019. Despite this struggle, he solidified his presence with the role of Det. Frank Pembleton in Homicide: Life on the Street, a gritty police drama on NBC based on a book by David Simon, who later created The Wire.
Playing Pembleton for seven seasons, Braugher earned his first career Emmy in 1998, securing the trophy for lead actor in a drama series.
Andre Braugher: Emmy Success and Comedy Evolution
Winning his second Emmy for lead actor in a miniseries or movie in 2006, Braugher achieved this feat with the limited series Thief on FX. Throughout his career, he garnered a total of 11 Emmy nominations.
In a notable departure from his dramatic roles, Braugher embraced comedy in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, where he portrayed Capt. Ray Holt alongside Andy Samberg. The show, spanning eight seasons from 2013 to 2021 on Fox and NBC, marked a significant shift for Braugher, known for his roles in dark and heavy dramas.
Despite earlier comedic ventures in TNT’s Men of a Certain Age, Brooklyn Nine-Nine represented a transformative opportunity for Braugher. Reflecting on the experience, he expressed, “I just felt as though it was an opportunity to do something strikingly different from the rest of my career.” This shift, he believed, expanded his acting abilities and opened his mind to diverse ways of approaching scenes. Throughout the show’s run, Braugher earned four Emmy nominations.
In a personal aspect of his life, Braugher enjoyed a marriage of over 30 years to Homicide co-star Ami Brabson, and they were blessed with three sons.