Andre Braugher, best known for playing Jack Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Street and Captain Raymond Holt on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, has sadly passed away after a brief illness. His long and celebrated career also included roles in countless movies and television shows. The 11-time Emmy nominee and two-time winner was just 61 years old. He is survived by his wife, Ami Brabson, and their three children.
Born in Chicago on July 1, 1962, Braugher graduated from Stanford University. He then attended Juilliard, where he received training that would lead to a truly incredible and varied career. It began in 1989. That year, he appeared in Glory and the Kojak: Fatal Flaw TV movie. It didn’t take long for him to then establish himself as one of Hollywood’s best actors. From 1993 to 1998, Andre Braugher starred as Detective Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Street. His performance also earned him his first Emmy nomination in 1996.
In 1996, Braugher was also nominated a second time for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special. He was recognized for playing Benjamin O. Davis in The Tuskegee Airmen. He then won his first Emmy in 1998 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
His second Emmy win came in 2006 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie. He won for playing Nick Atwater in Thief. Braugher garnered more nominations for his performances in Gideon’s Crossing, Men of a Certain Age, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, one of his defining roles.
His iconic portrayal of Captain Raymond Holt not only earned him four Emmy nominations, it highlighted why he was one of Hollywood’s best actors. After establishing himself as a remarkable dramatic performer, Andre Braugher showed he was also an incredible comedic one, too. Like all of his performances, it’s impossible to imagine anyone else having played Raymond Holt.
Andre Braugher was a singular talent, one with so much range he could also star in a horror movie like The Mist or voice Darkseid in Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. In addition to his prodigious talent, his friends and colleagues also remember him for his kindness and warmth.
Andre Braugher left us far too soon. But he leaves behind a tremendous legacy, full of memorable characters and amazing performances that will live on forever.