Stars we lost in 2023: Andre Braugher (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Glory)

The American actor Andre Braugher, best known for his roles on ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ and ‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ died at age 61 on December 11, 2023. His death was generally unexpected, as he appeared to have had "a brief illness."

A few days later, it became known that the illness taking the actor's life was lung cancer. While he was generally private about his personal life, in 2014 he told the New York Times that he hadn't touched a drink or cigarettes for years.

While Braugher had been acting for decades, perhaps his most notable was that of Captain Raymond Holt in the show ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine.’ It was the jewel in his career’s crown, as he got to play the typical cop but deliver some of the funniest and most absurd lines in modern sitcoms.

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An article with the aforementioned title in the Guardian points out that while ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ was supposed to be a vehicle for Andy Samberg after he finished ‘Saturday Night Live,’ after writers saw what Braugher could do, he quickly grew into the main character.

Captain Raymond Holt was clearly an authority figure, the foil to Samberg’s man-child antics. And as a Black police officer who was also gay with devasting deadpan delivery, he will no doubt go down in history as one of the strangest yet most glorious TV characters in history.

Tributes have already begun pouring in, including from ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ castmate Terry Crews, who wrote on Instagram: “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. You taught me so much. I will be forever grateful for the experience of knowing you.”

Over his career, he received 11 Emmy nods, four for ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ but he also won for different roles. Here’s a bit more about his life and career.

Born in Chicago to a postal worker and heavy equipment operator, his talent was apparent from a young age. He won a scholarship to attend Stanford, graduating in theater, and then attended Julliard School’s Drama division, graduating in 1988.

His first film role was in the 1989 film ‘Glory’ alongside Denzel Washington, Matthew Broderick, and Morgan Freeman. The movie was about one of the Union Army’s first African-American regiments in the Civil War. The film earned three Oscars.

In the following years, Braugher appeared in several roles, most notably as Kojak’s sidekick, Detective Winston Blake, in five separate ‘Kojak’ television movies.

Image: Kojak: Ariana (1989)/ CBS

Continuing the theme of playing a cop, Braugher then went on to a role in the gritty TV show ‘Homicide: Life on the Street,’ for which he won an Emmy Award for Lead Actor in 1998. After six seasons he left, and in 1997 he was selected by People as one of the ‘50 Most Beautiful People in the World.’

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In 1991, he married actress Ami Brabson, with whom he would co-star in ‘Homicide.’ They have three sons: Michael, Isaiah, and John Wesley. The eldest Michael, is following in his parent's footsteps and attending Julliard to become an actor.

If you know his work, it’s little surprise that Braugher was also a gifted Shakespearean actor. In 1996, he won an Obie Award for playing the title role of ‘Henry V’ in New York’s ‘Shakespeare in the Park.’

Straying from his traditional role as a police officer or other authority figure, Braugher starred as a master thief and leader of a heist crew in the FX Networks mini-series ‘Thief’ in 2006. For that performance, he won another Emmy.

After 'Thief,' he scored roles in big shows and movies like 'Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,' as well as a recurring role in 'Men of a Certain Age' alongside Ray Romano. He also played a psychiatrist in 'House' and a defense attorney in 'Law & Order: SVU.'

After his hefty drama roles in the past, he told Variety he was “pretty freaked out” to play in a comedy. “Holt is a really, really wonderful character, but I think in anybody else’s hands, it might have been something foolish, something silly,” says Braugher, who liked that the character happened to be gay — but it wasn’t a defining, stereotypical distinction. Indeed, Variety said that what made him so good in the role was that his performance was so unexpected.

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