Andre Braugher, R.I.P.

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Andre Braugher Dies: Star Of ‘Homicide: Life On The Street’, ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ & Other Series And Films Was 61

By Mike Fleming Jr
Deadline Co-Editor-in-Chief, Film
December 12, 2023




Andre Braugher has died. The two-time Emmy-winning star of series including "Homicide: Life on the Street", "Men of a Certain Age", and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" was 61. Braugher, whose first film role came alongside Matthew Broderick and Denzel Washington in the Ed Zwick-directed Glory, died on Monday after a brief illness.

While Braugher peppered his resume with comedies, many will remember him for his ferocious portrayal as Detective Frank Pembleton in the NBC drama "Homicide: Life on the Street". Put him in the box, sweating out and outsmarting crime suspects in the interrogation room, and you were looking at a weekly dose of tour de force acting, as good as it got on television during that period of time. He won an Emmy for that show he starred in from 1992-98 and "Homicide" is also where he met his wife, actress Ami Brabson. Along with her, Braugher leaves behind sons Michael, Isaiah and John Wesley, as well as his brother Charles Jennings and his mother Sally Braugher. He also leaves behind WME agent Brandt Joel, attorney Keith Klevan and his publicist Jennifer Allen of Viewpoint, his rep team for the past 25 years.

He won the Emmy in 1998, as well as two Television Critics Association Awards in 1997 and 1998.

Born and raised in Chicago — he earned a B.A. from Stanford University and an M.F.A. from Juilliard — Braugher most recently co-starred in She Said, the drama film retelling of The New York Times journalists Jodi Kantor & Megan Twohy, whose reporting led to the prosecution of Harvey Weinstein and sparked the #MeToo movement. André starred as Dean Baquet, the New York Times Executive Editor who oversaw the two reporters.

Braugher was going to star in the Netflix show "Residence" as his next project, meant to begin filming early next year. He also starred in the sixth and final season of Paramount+’s legal drama "The Good Fight", alongside Christine Baranski and Audra McDonald. André starred as showman lawyer and rainmaker Ri’Chard Lane.



For eight seasons, Braugher starred alongside Andy Samberg in the hit comedy series "Brooklyn Nine-Nine", and he won two Critics Choice Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and received four Emmy Award nominations for his role as Captain Ray Holt in the series.

Braugher before that starred on the acclaimed TNT series "Men of a Certain Age" alongside Ray Romano and Scott Bakula. He received two Emmy nominations for his role as an anxiety-stricken diabetic dad on the show. He also starred in the 2008 sci-fi miniseries "The Andromeda Strain" alongside Benjamin Bratt and Eric McCormack for A&E.

He won an Emmy for Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Mini-Series and a Golden Globe Award nomination for his starring role in the miniseries "Thief", which aired on FX. He also starred in the TNT original four-hour miniseries "Salem’s Lot" based on the bestselling novel by Stephen King. Prior to that film, he starred in the Showtime Original Film "A Soldier’s Girl".

Braugher starred in the acclaimed CBS series "Hack" opposite David Morse and in the Showtime Original Film "10,000 Black Men Named George" with Charles Dutton and Mario Van Peebles for director Robert Townsend. He served as executive producer on the latter film, and he received an NAACP Award nomination for his role as A. Philip Randolph. He also starred in the ABC drama series "Gideon’s Crossing", getting Emmy and Golden Globe noms for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Dr. Ben Gideon.

Braugher made his directorial debut with one vignette of the Showtime trilogy "Love Songs", in which he also starred, and he starred in the TNT telefilm Passing Glory (1999) for director Steve James (Hoop Dreams). Braugher received a second Emmy nomination in 1996 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Mini-Series for his work in the Peabody-winning HBO production "The Tuskeegee Airmen".



His other television credits include the ABC drama "Last Resort"; reprising his Emmy-winning role of Detective Frank Pembleton in the two-hour NBC Special "Homicide: The Movie" (2000); the title role in The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson (1990); HBO’s Somebody Has to Shoot the Picture (1990); and NBC’s Murder in Mississippi (1990). He began his television career as the late Telly Savalas’ sidekick in television movies based on the original "Kojak" series.

In addition to Braugher’s success on the small screen, audiences have seen him star in a variety of feature film roles. He voiced a role in the animated feature Spirit Untamed (2021); he co-starred in the feature film Baytown Outlaws (2012); co-starred in Salt (2010) opposite Angelina Jolie for director Phillip Noyce; co-starred in Passengers (2008) opposite Anne Hathaway; in the Frank Darabont The Mist (2007) based on the novel by King; in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007); in the thriller Poseidon (2006); in Duets (2000) opposite Gwyneth Paltrow for director Bruce Paltrow; in the independent feature A Better Way to Die (2000); and alongside Dennis Quaid in the critically praised film Frequency (2000). Before that he starred with Alec Baldwin in the independent film Thick As Thieves (1999), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and later aired on HBO. He was was a part of an ensemble cast that included Jeff Daniels, Gary Sinise, Joan Allen and Anna Paquin in director Jim Stern’s All The Rage (1999), and starred in City of Angels (1998) with Nicolas Cage, Meg Ryan and Dennis Franz.

Other feature turns included Primal Fear (1996) with Richard Gere, which marked his first collaboration with Frequency director Gregory Hoblit; Spike Lee’s Get on the Bus (1996); and Glory (1989), the Oscar-winning story of America’s first unit of Black soldiers during the Civil War.



On the live stage, Braugher appeared at the New York Shakespeare Festival in Measure for Measure; Twelfth Night; in the title role of Henry V, which earned him an Obie Award; and in As You Like It.

At Joseph Papp’s Public Theater, he performed in The Way of the World and Shakespeare’s Richard II and Coriolanus. He played Iago in the Folger Shakespeare Festival production of Othello and performed the title role in Macbeth for the Philadelphia Drama Guild. He also starred in the Manhattan Theatre Club’s New York premiere of Matthew Lopez’s The Whipping Man.

Braugher presented the New York premiere of Oni Faida Lampley’s Tough Titty along with his wife Brabson, who starred in the lead role in the play. Inspired by Lampley’s own experiences, Tough Titty follows a woman whose breast cancer diagnosis sends her on a journey of self-discovery as she learns to face the disease, her family and her community. He also starred in the world premiere of Tell Them I’m Still Young by Julia Doolittle at the South Orange Performing Arts Center.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Classical Theatre of Harlem, where Braugher served on the board.



https://deadline.com/2023/12/andre-b...or-1235665513/
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Wow....sorry to hear that. My biggest recollection was seeing him in person during the shooting of Homicide, Life on the Streets. The show had enthusiastic support from local politicians due to the money it brought into the area. At the time, I was working in an office building in downtown Baltimore that got used for shots of people walking through lobbies, coming and going, getting off buses. I'd see Braugher now and again, as well as other cast members. Sometimes I was not sure who was a real building cop and who was part of the set. I'd also see the crew outdoors frequently. There were only a couple characters I recall, but Braugher was one of them.



Aw No!! One of those actors that could do no wrong with me, Ill miss him.' RIP Andre


Great writeup Holden



Damn. Way too young. He was rock solid in everything he did. No matter the heavyweight talent involved he was the one who drew your attention. Homicide, Men of a Certain Age, Brooklyn-99. It didn't matter if it was dramatic or comedic. The man was the definition of a consummate professional.

RIP Mr. Braugher.



Andre Braugher, wow. Truly sad. I loved him on Homicide: Life on the Streets. I never missed it---the whole cast was great but it was for Braugher especially that I watched.
I saw several episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine but never watched the entire show. Maybe one day, in reruns. Braugher was great as the hard-to-get-along-with next-door neighbor in The Mist. And as part of a karaoke duo in Duets. The list just goes on. Godspeed, Andre.
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Don't forget his turn on House M.D.



I was a fan of The Practice and always thought Braugher was great. Really didn’t see much of him until finally watching 99 a couple years ago. Captain Holt is the most consistently funny character on that show for me, and I think Brauer’s acting is a huge reason for that. RIP
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Fantastic actor who could command the screen without ever stealing another actor's thunder. All by himself, he made Homicide: Life on the Street appointment television and did a complete 180 degree playing Captain Holt on Brooklyn Nine Nine. Also loved him in Glory, Primal Fear, City of Angels, and Get On the Bus. This is sad. RIP



Glory (1989) is one of my favorite moves, but I hate to admit that I thought the actor who played "Thomas" had faded into obscurity.
When I saw Andre Braugher in later years and in other movies, I didn't recognize him as the same actor!

Who says you couldn't fool people about your identity just by taking on & off a pair of glasses?



As always, Holden has written a wonderful encapsulation of his career. To me, Andre was the personification of a character actor. He really was wonderful in small, but impactful, supporting roles, while rarely being the "star". I am also a fan of "House M.D." and liked him in that too. I am sad that there will no longer be any performances from him to enjoy in future shows or movies.



Excellent write up Holden.


Obviously I love Captain Holt, but I also remember seeing him in the TV movie Murder in Mississippi which is good movie if you want to know about events leading up to the investigation shown in Mississippi Burning.


RIP



I didn't write the thing, it was from Deadline.
That's sort of embarrassing, missing that detail. Sort of thing that would have disappointed Captain Holt.


Still a good piece, & thanks for putting it up.



I didn't write the thing, it was from Deadline.
Oh dear. You have written so many similar posts after someone you admired had passed away that I was fooled. I think I scrolled immediately to the text in anticipation of reading what you thought that I missed the headline. This is certainly a reading comprehension failure on my part. Comment withdrawn, but I do reserve the right to offer it again the next time you write one of these!