Andre Braugher, Emmy-Winning ‘Homicide’ and ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ Actor, Dies at 61

Andre Braugher, the Emmy-winning actor of “Homicide: Life on the Street”and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” has died at 61 after a brief illness.

His representative, Jennifer Allen, confirmed his passing to TheWrap.

Equally adept at drama and comedy, Braugher’s career-defining performance as the Detective Frank Pembleton on the underrated ’90s cop drama earned him his first of two Emmys in 1998. The brilliant Baltimore cop was at his best in the interrogation room, aka “the box,” where he dazzled and confused criminals and, almost inevitably, got confessions in even the hardest cases.

“Homicide” had several crossovers with NBC’s “Law & Order,” including an episode that took Pembleton and partner Tim Bayless (Kyle Secor) to NYC to investigate a subway bombing.

Braugher’s seemingly stern character Captain Raymond Holt on the NBC/Fox police comedy “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” was a kind of homage to and send-up of Pembleton at the same time. He was Emmy-nominated four times for the role and won two Critics Choice awards.

Most recently, he starred in the sixth and final season of Paramount+’s legal drama “The Good Fight” alongside Christine Baranski and Audra McDonald as showman lawyer and rainmaker Ri’Chard Lane.

The actor received his first of 11 Emmy nominations for his role in the 1995 HBO TV Movie, “Tuskegee Airman,” and went on to notch more nods for “Homicide,” the ABC medical drama “Gideon’s Crossing,” which he headlined from 2000 to 2001, and the 2006 mini-series “Thief.”

The actor came to attention in his first film role, Edward Zwick’s 1989 Civil War drama “Glory,” which won fellow newcomer Denzel Washington a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Braugher played the bespectacled Corporal Thomas Searles in the powerful drama.

The actor’s many films include “Frequency,” where he played another homicide detective, this time as the partner of Jim Caviezel’s time-spanning character. He also appeared in “The Mist,” “City of Angels,” “She Said,” and “Salt” and Spike Lee’s “Get on the Bus.”

He costarred with Ray Romano and Scott Bakula on the TNT dramedy “Men of a Certain Age” from 2009 to 2011 and was nominated for Supporting Actor in a Drama Series twice. From 2002 to 2004, he starred opposite David Morse on CBS series “Hack.”

Braugher made his directorial debut with a segment of the 1999 Showtime trilogy “Love Songs,” in which he also starred.

He was born on July 1, 1962 in Chicago and received his Master’s degree in Fine Arts from Juilliard School in New York City in 1988 after earning a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre from Stanford.

His notable stage career includes performances at the New York Shakespeare Festival in “Measure for Measure” and “Twelfth Night.” In 1996, he won an Obie award for playing the title role in “Henry V.”

He performed in additional Shakespeare productions at Joseph Papp’s Public Theater and the Philadelphia Drama Guild. He also starred in the premiere of “Tell Them I’m Still Young” by Julia Doolittle at the South Orange Performing Arts Center in New Jersey and the Manhattan Theatre Club’s New York premiere of Matthew Lopez’s “The Whipping Man.”

Braugher is survived by his wife Ami Brabson, who also played his character’s wife on “Homicide.” He also leaves behind sons Michael, Isaiah and John Wesley, as well as his brother Charles Jennings and his mother Sally Braugher.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Classical Theatre of Harlem; the actor served on the theatre’s board.

Deadline first reported the story.

The post Andre Braugher, Emmy-Winning ‘Homicide’ and ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ Actor, Dies at 61 appeared first on TheWrap.