Andre Braugher, who won two Emmys for his roles on Homicide: Life on the Street and in the FX miniseries Thief, has died. He was 61. According to Deadline, Braugher died Monday “after a brief illness.†For eight seasons, he played Captain Raymond Holt on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the first out gay Black captain in the NYPD’s history.
Braugher’s first film role was in Glory, opposite Denzel Washington and Matthew Broderick. From there, he starred on Homicide as Detective Frank Pembleton. Homicide was lauded for its gritty approach to police stories, and for showing the ugliness in law enforcement. Although the show was an ensemble, Braugher’s Pemberton was a clear breakout. Braugher met his wife on the show, Ami Brabson. He left the show after its sixth season, but returned for the finale movie. Between his two iconic TV cops, Braugher starred on Men of a Certain Age with Ray Romano and Scott Bakula. Although the show only lasted two seasons, it won a Peabody in 2010.
He was set to star in Residence on Netflix, which was to begin shooting early next year. Braugher is survived by his wife and their three children, Michael, Isaiah and John Wesley. Per Deadline, the family is asking for donations to The Classical Theatre of Harlem in lieu of flowers.