André Braugher, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” star, dies at 61

The actor was best known for playing Captain Holt on all eight seasons of the police sitcom.

André Braugher, best known for playing Captain Raymond Holt on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Detective Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Street, has died at age 61. Braugher died on Monday following a brief illness, EW can confirm.

Known for his stern onscreen demeanor and bellowing voice, Braugher’s steady, commanding presence made him adept at both drama and comedy. After studying theater at Stanford and Juilliard, he made his screen debut in 1989’s Civil War drama Glory, which saw him act opposite Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, and Matthew Broderick. Soon afterwards, he played Detective Winston Blake on a revival of Kojack.

From 1993 to 1998, Braugher starred as Detective Frank Pembleton on NBC’s police drama Homicide: Life on the Street. He won an Emmy for his work on the show in 1998 after being nominated once before in 1996. After his time on the show concluded, Braugher became a series regular on several short-lived shows, including Gideon’s Crossing, Hack, and Men of a Certain Age. He won another Emmy for his work in the miniseries Thief in 2006.

Braugher enjoyed a late-career renaissance with the sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which weaponized his straight-faced seriousness for incredible comedic effect. Braugher’s austere, multifaceted Captain Holt ultimately proved to be his longest-running character, appearing in 153 episodes across the show’s eight seasons.

Braugher appeared in supporting roles in numerous high-profile films, including Primal Fear, Spike Lee’s Get on the Bus, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, The Mist, and She Said. He also appeared on the sixth season of The Good Fight, as well as episodes of shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Bojack Horseman, and Jackie Chan Adventures.

Braugher also lent his talents to a number of TV miniseries, including The Tuskegee Airmen, The Andromeda Strain, and Salem’s Lot, as well as TV movies Homicide: The Movie, The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson, Somebody Has to Shoot the Picture, Murder in Mississippi, and Passing Glory.

The actor received a total of 11 Emmy nominations for his work on Homicide, The Tuskegee Airmen, Gideon’s Crossing, Thief, Men of a Certain Age, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Braugher frequently performed on stage, appearing in productions of Shakespeare’s Henry V, Othello, Macbeth, As You Like It, Measure for Measure, and Twelfth Night, as well as plays like The Way of the World, The Whipping Man, and Tell Them I’m Still Young. He also served on the board of the Classical Theatre of Harlem.

Braugher is survived by his wife Ami Brabson and their three sons.

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