Andre Braugher’s 10 best Captain Holt moments on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”

You’ll never hear the words "bone" or "vindication" the same way again.

Plenty of dramatic actors have attempted the shift to comedy, but few were ever as successful — or as overwhelmingly funny — as Andre Braugher. The Emmy-winning actor, who died this week at the age of 61, built his career in gritty, straight-faced fare like Homicide: Life on the Street, only to find a second act on the zany sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine. As the stoic police captain Raymond Holt, Braugher became an immediate fan favorite, and he brought a deadpan gravitas to every scene — whether he was delivering an emotional monologue or having a poolside meltdown in a “What’s up, beaches?” tank top.

TV is littered with forgettable cop characters, but Braugher turned Holt into a perfect comedic creation, a buttoned-up father figure who slowly softened, especially as he learned to love his ragtag squad. As a Juilliard grad and a classically trained Shakespeare expert, Braugher knew the power of language, and he infused even the silliest lines with a brilliant musicality.

Here, EW pays tribute to 10 of Captain Holt’s best moments from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, from the heartfelt to the hilarious.

1. "Because no one will ever believe you."

This early cold open perfectly captures Braugher’s impeccable comedic timing: As the squad speculates about how Holt broke his wrist, the captain slyly reveals the truth to Andy Samberg’s Jake Peralta: He broke it hula-hooping, in a class he and his husband Kevin (Marc Evan Jackson) take for "fitness and fun." There’s a devilish gleam in Braugher’s eyes as he shows the photos to Peralta, only to delete them without a trace.

2. "Nothing is okay."

Every once in a while, the Nine-Nine writers would tee up an emotional monologue and just let Braugher loose. In this season 2 highlight, a depressed Holt reflects on his rivalry with the evil Captain Wuntch (more on her in a minute) and his failing task force, delivering bangers like, "I am buffeted by the winds of my foe's enmity and cast about by the towering waves of cruel fate." Poetry!

3. Straight Holt

Whether it be in his identity as the first gay Black police captain in the NYPD or his relationship with husband Kevin, Holt thrived as a proud gay man. Which made it all the funnier when he went undercover as "Straight Holt," delivering absurd lines like repeatedly referring to women’s "nice, heavy breasts" as a way of bro-ing out. The coup de gras is when he describes a thigh gap as his "favorite part of a woman," saying, "There’s nothing more intoxicating than the clear absence of a penis." He doesn’t mean to be crude, that’s just how the straight mind works. Or so Holt keeps telling himself.

4. "BONE???"

When Rosa (Stephanie Beatriz) suggests that the answer to Holt and Kevin’s problems is just to bone, Holt loses his mind. We are treated to a montage of jumps to later periods of time (5 mins, 10 mins, 21 mins, 40 mins) as Holt continues to go off about it. Perhaps the funniest moment is when Holt grabs onto his office doorway and bends down, screaming "BONE???" in outrage. Never has a sexual innuendo generated such hilarious results.

5. Holt responds to Rosa coming out

Braugher never failed to garner laughs as Holt, with his deadpan delivery and gift for the absurd. But he was just as powerful in the quieter, more emotional moments of the show. When Rosa comes out as bisexual, Holt takes her aside and tells her, "Every time someone steps up and says who they are, the world becomes a better, more interesting place. So, thank you." Braugher tries to deliver it with Holt’s signature stoicism, but his voice breaks near the end as he engulfs Rosa in a hug. It’s a sign of the captain’s deep love for his squad, as well as a beautiful testament to Braugher’s humanity and range as an actor. (Beatriz also highlighted this moment in a tribute post to her late costar.)

6. Holt goes Paddington

One of the series’ best cold opens clocks in at less than 30 seconds, mostly consisting of Holt walking silently across the room in an absurd red hat. But Braugher makes every second count, culminating with the perfect punchline: "I was trying something, and it didn’t work!"

7. "Wuntch time is over"

Batman had his Joker, Sherlock Holmes had his Moriarty, and Holt had Madeline Wuntch (Kyra Sedgwick), his longtime arch-nemesis within the NYPD. Every time Sedgwick popped by for a guest appearance, Braugher would lob withering insult after withering insult, infusing each one-liner with a menacing gravitas. (Highlights include "talking raisin," "old leather chair," "albino bat," and "human blister.") But we have a soft spot for one of their first run-ins, when Holt greets her with this: "Good to see you. But if you’re here… who’s guarding Hades?"

8. Long live Cheddar

"This bitch! Please." For Captain Holt, there is only one bitch in his heart, his fluffy corgi Cheddar. The only thing Holt is more pretentious about than his cheese and his reading list is his precious doggo. From telling the pup lovingly that "it’s time to make Daddy proud" to his indignant proclamation, "You’re not Cheddar, you’re just some common bitch!" Holt is a primo dad dog — and we could never get enough.

9. "Vindication!"

The captain always went above and beyond for his squad — like when he spent an entire season 4 episode meticulously constructing a balloon arch for Rosa’s wedding to Adrian Pimento (Jason Mantzoukas). Every moment is a delight (just listen to the timing on Holt’s resentful balloon popping!), but Braugher saves the best for last, right down to the very last word. "Vindication" has never sounded so sweet.

10. "Push It"

When Amy (Melissa Fumero) goes into labor in the precinct, the Nine-Nine team drops everything to try to make her comfortable. Does that include bringing her drugs from evidence? Nope. Instead, Captain Holt and Terry (Terry Crews) deliver a dance to Salt N Peppa’s "Push It" (apropos song choice) from inside the interrogation room. It’s a moment that perfectly captures Braugher’s commitment to the bit and his willingness to do anything for a laugh (all while maintaining that perfect deadpan). The man even twerks!

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