The Late Great Andre Braugher

Andre Braugher, who starred as Detective Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life in the Streets and Captain Raymond Holt on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and appeared in such movies as Glory (1989), died on December 11 2023 at the age of 61. The cause was lung cancer.

Andre Braugher was born on July 1 1962 in Chicago. He graduated from Stanford University and then studied drama at Julliard. He made his television debut in 1989 in the TV movie Kojak: Ariana, playing Detective Winston Blake. He reprised the role of Detective Blake in the TV movies Kojak: Fatal Flaw, Kojak: Flowers for Matty, Kojak: It's Always Something, and Kojak: None So Blind. In 1990 he played Jackie Robinson in the TV movie The Court Martial of Jackie Robinson. He made his film debut in Glory in 1989.

In the Nineties Andre Braugher played Detective Pembleton on Homicide: Life in the Streets and the TV movie Homicide: The Movie. He starred on the medical drama Gideon's Crossing. He starred in the TV movies The Tuskegee Airmen (1995) and Passing Glory (1999). He guest starred on the show Law & Order (playing Detective Pembleton). He was a guest voice on the animated series Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child and Jackie Chan Adventures. He appeared in the movies Striking Distance (1993), Primal Fear (1996), Get On the Bus (1996), City of Angels (1998), Thick as Thieves (1999), All the Rage (1999), Frequency (2000), Duets (2000), and A Better Way to Die (2000).

In the Naughts Andre Braugher starred on the TV shows Hack and Men of a Certain Age. He had a recurring role on the show House, M.D. He appeared in the mini-series 'Salem's Lot, Thief, and The Andromeda Strain. He guest starred on the shows The Practice, The Jury and Miami Medical. He appeared in the movies Poseidon (2006), Live! (2007), The Mist (2007), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Passengers (2008), and Salt (2010).

In the Teens Ande Braugher starred on the TV show Last Resort and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He had recurring roles on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the animated series BoJack Horseman. He guest starred on the shows Axe Cop (2015) and New Girl (as Captain Raymond Holt from Brooklyn Nine-Nine). He appeared in the movies The Baytown Outlaws (2001), The Gambler (2014), Emily & Tim (2015).

In the 2020s Andre Braugher continued to play Captain Holt on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He was a regular on the streaming series The Good Fight. He appeared in the movie She Said (2022).

Andre Braugher was an incredible actor with a great amount of talent. He was nominated for an Emmy for his role on Homicide: Life in the Streets of Frank Pembleton, the intellectual detective who was opposed to the use of deadly force. He was also nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for The Tusekegee Airmen, in which he played Col. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., the courageous and tenacious commander of the 99th Fighter Squadron and the 332nd Fighter Group. Of course, he will also be remember as Captain Raymond "Ray" Holt on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the stoic captain of the 99th Precinct, who nonetheless has a great deal of warmth for his fellow human beings. He also played the intellectual and brave Corporal Thomas Searles in Glory. While Ande Braugher played several bigger-than-life characters, he was capable of playing an ordinary guy. On Men of a Certain Age he played Owen Thoreau, Jr., a diabetic car salesman who suffered from severe anxiety. Andre Braugher could play a wide array of characters, and he was equally good at both drama and comedy. Few actors ever possessed as much talent as he had.