André Braugher obit

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

 

He was not on the list.

André 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 Monday after a brief illness.

While Braugher peppered his résumé with comedies, many will remember him for his ferocious portrayal of 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 time. He won an Emmy for that show he starred in from 1992-98. His wife, Ami Brabson, recurred as Pembleton’s wife on Homicide.

He won the Emmy in 1998, as well as two Television Critics Association Awards in 1997 and 1998. Watch Homicide executive producer Barry Levinson talk about casting Braugher below, from a 2016 interview for the Television Academy Foundation.

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 New York Times journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, whose reporting led to the prosecution of Harvey Weinstein and sparked the #MeToo movement. He starred as Dean Baquet, the Times‘ Executive Editor who oversaw the two reporters.

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

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 that began on Fox and later moved to NBC.

Braugher before that starred on the two seasons of 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, 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 telefilm 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.

Along with Brabson, his wife of 32 years, Bruagher is survived by sons Michael, Isaiah and John Wesley; his brother Charles Jennings; and their 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.

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

 

Actor

Scoob!: Holiday Haunt

(voice)

Completed

 

The Residence

A.B. Wynter

In ProductionTV Mini Series

 

Christine Baranski and Audra McDonald in The Good Fight (2017)

The Good Fight

8.3

TV Series

Ri'Chard Lane

2022

10 episodes

 

Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan in She Said (2022)

She Said

7.3

Dean Baquet

2022

 

David Ogden Stiers, David McCullough, and Michael Murphy in American Experience (1987)

American Experience

8.6

TV Series

Narrator

Robert Carter

1993–2022

4 episodes

 

Dirk Blocker, Andre Braugher, Terry Crews, Melissa Fumero, Joe Lo Truglio, Joel McKinnon Miller, Andy Samberg, and Stephanie Beatriz in Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013)

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

8.4

TV Series

Raymond Holt

2013–2021

153 episodes

 

Isabela Merced in Spirit Untamed (2021)

Spirit Untamed

5.5

Al Granger (voice)

2021

 

Will Arnett in BoJack Horseman (2014)

BoJack Horseman

8.8

TV Series

Woodchuck Coodchuck-Berkowitz (voice)

2017

4 episodes

 

Zooey Deschanel, Max Greenfield, Hannah Simone, Lamorne Morris, and Jake Johnson in New Girl (2011)

New Girl

7.8

TV Series

Captain Raymond Holt

2016

1 episode

 

Olympia Dukakis, Alexis Bledel, Andre Braugher, Malcolm Gets, Zosia Mamet, Kal Penn, David Pittu, Phylicia Rashad, Louis Zorich, and Thomas Mann in Emily & Tim (2015)

Emily & Tim

5.8

Tim Hanratty (segment 'Acceptance')

2015

 

Nick Offerman in Axe Cop (2012)

Axe Cop

7.3

TV Series

Lobster Man (voice)

2015

1 episode

 

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

8.1

TV Series

Bayard Ellis

Defense Attorney Bayard Ellis

2011–2015

6 episodes

 

Mark Wahlberg, John Goodman, Brie Larson, and Tina Wang in The Gambler (2014)

The Gambler

6.0

Dean Fuller

2014

 

Scott Speedman in Last Resort (2012)

Last Resort

7.3

TV Series

Captain Marcus Chaplin

2012–2013

13 episodes

 

Billy Bob Thornton, Eva Longoria, and Travis Fimmel in The Baytown Outlaws (2012)

The Baytown Outlaws

6.3

Millard

2012

 

Hugh Laurie in House (2004)

House

8.7

TV Series

Dr. Darryl Nolan

2009–2012

4 episodes

 

Men of a Certain Age (2009)

Men of a Certain Age

8.0

TV Series

Owen Thoreau Jr.

2009–2011

22 episodes

 

Tim Daly, Andre Braugher, Kevin Conroy, and Summer Glau in Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010)

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse

7.0

Video

Darkseid (voice)

2010

 

Angelina Jolie in Salt (2010)

Salt

6.4

Secretary of Defense

2010

 

Jeremy Northam, Omar Gooding, Elisabeth Harnois, Lana Parrilla, and Mike Vogel in Miami Medical (2010)

Miami Medical

7.0

TV Series

Dr. William Rayner

2010

1 episode

 

David Morse, Anne Hathaway, Andre Braugher, and Patrick Wilson in Passengers (2008)

Passengers

5.8

Perry

2008

 

The Andromeda Strain (2008)

The Andromeda Strain

6.1

TV Mini Series

General George W. Mancheck

2008

4 episodes

 

Laurence Fishburne, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans, Ioan Gruffudd, and Doug Jones in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

5.6

General Hager

2007

 

The Mist (2007)

The Mist

7.1

Brent Norton

2007

 

Eva Mendes in Live! (2007)

Live!

5.8

Don

2007

 

Poseidon (2006)

Poseidon

5.7

Captain Bradford

2006

 

Thief (2006)

Thief

7.4

TV Mini Series

Nick Atwater

2006

6 episodes

 

Billy Burke, Adam Busch, Shalom Harlow, Jeff Hephner, and Cote de Pablo in The Jury (2004)

The Jury

6.9

TV Series

Judge Loren Price

2004

2 episodes

 

Rob Lowe and Donald Sutherland in Salem's Lot (2004)

Salem's Lot

6.1

TV Mini Series

Matt Burke

2004

2 episodes

 

David Morse in Hack (2002)

Hack

7.4

TV Series

Marcellus Washington

2002–2004

40 episodes

 

Troy Garity and Lee Pace in Soldier's Girl (2003)

Soldier's Girl

7.8

TV Movie

Sergeant Carlos Diaz

2003

 

Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002)

Standing in the Shadows of Motown

7.8

Narrator

2002

 

Charles S. Dutton, Mario Van Peebles, and Andre Braugher in 10,000 Black Men Named George (2002)

10,000 Black Men Named George

6.9

TV Movie

A. Philip Randolph (as André Braugher)

2002

 

West Point: The First 200 Years (2002)

West Point: The First 200 Years

6.8

Narrator

2002

 

American Masters (1985)

American Masters

8.2

TV Series

Narrator (voice)

2002

1 episode

 

One from the Heart

TV Movie

Narrator

2001

 

Rubén Blades, Andre Braugher, Eric Dane, Russell Hornsby, Ravi Kapoor, Sophie Keller, Hamish Linklater, and Rhona Mitra in Gideon's Crossing (2000)

Gideon's Crossing

7.6

TV Series

Dr. Ben Gideon

2000–2001

20 episodes

 

Lara Flynn Boyle, Dylan McDermott, Steve Harris, and Kelli Williams in The Practice (1997)

The Practice

7.7

TV Series

Dr. Ben Gideon

2001

1 episode

 

Jackie Chan Adventures (2000)

Jackie Chan Adventures

7.4

TV Series

Derge

2000–2001

3 episodes

 

Natasha Henstridge, Lou Diamond Phillips, Scott Wiper, and Andre Braugher in A Better Way to Die (2000)

A Better Way to Die

5.6

Cleveland

2000

 

Promo Poster

Duets

6.1

Reggie Kane

2000

 

Frequency (2000)

Frequency

7.4

Satch DeLeon

2000

 

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (1995)

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child

6.8

TV Series

Julian Andrews (voice)

2000

1 episode

 

Yaphet Kotto, Kyle Secor, Michael Michele, Andre Braugher, Reed Diamond, Clark Johnson, Jon Seda, and Callie Thorne in Homicide: The Movie (2000)

Homicide: The Movie

7.7

TV Movie

Frank Pembleton

2000

 

All the Rage (1999)

All the Rage

5.5

Tim

1999

 

Louis Gossett Jr., Lynn Whitfield, Andre Braugher, and Robert Townsend in Love Songs (1999)

Love Songs

6.4

TV Movie

Ellis (segment "Love Song for Jean and Ellis, A")

1999

 

Passing Glory (1999)

Passing Glory

6.5

TV Movie

Father Joseph Verrett

1999

 

Alec Baldwin, Rebecca De Mornay, and Andre Braugher in Thick as Thieves (1999)

Thick as Thieves

5.9

Dink

1999

 

Louisville

7.2

Short

1998

 

Homicide: Life on the Street (1993)

Homicide: Life on the Street

8.7

TV Series

Detective Frank Pembleton

Frank Pembleton

1993–1998

100 episodes

 

Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan in City of Angels (1998)

City of Angels

6.7

Cassiel

1998

 

Get on the Bus (1996)

Get on the Bus

6.9

Flip

1996

 

Richard Gere in Primal Fear (1996)

Primal Fear

7.7

Goodman

1996

 

Law & Order (1990)

Law & Order

7.8

TV Series

Detective Frank Pembleton

1996

1 episode

 

Laurence Fishburne, Cuba Gooding Jr., Allen Payne, Courtney B. Vance, and Malcolm-Jamal Warner in The Tuskegee Airmen (1995)

The Tuskegee Airmen

7.1

TV Movie

Benjamin O. Davis

1995

 

Striking Distance (1993)

Striking Distance

5.8

District Attorney

1993

 

Without Warning: Terror in the Towers (1993)

Without Warning: Terror in the Towers

4.4

TV Movie

1993

 

Class of '61 (1993)

Class of '61

5.5

TV Movie

Lucius

1993

 

The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson (1990)

The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson

6.9

TV Movie

Jackie Robinson

1990

 

Bonnie Bedelia and Roy Scheider in Somebody Has to Shoot the Picture (1990)

Somebody Has to Shoot the Picture

6.3

TV Movie

Dan Weston, Time Magazine Reporter

1990

 

Kojak: None So Blind (1990)

Kojak: None So Blind

6.6

TV Movie

Detective Winston Blake

1990

 

Jennifer Grey, Josh Charles, Tom Hulce, and Blair Underwood in Murder in Mississippi (1990)

Murder in Mississippi

7.0

TV Movie

Dennis

1990

 

Kojak: It's Always Something (1990)

Kojak: It's Always Something

6.7

TV Movie

Detective Winston Blake

1990

 

Kojak: Flowers for Matty (1990)

Kojak: Flowers for Matty

6.5

TV Movie

Detective Winston Blake

1990

 

Matthew Broderick in Glory (1989)

Glory

7.8

Cpl. Thomas Searles

1989

 

Kojak: Fatal Flaw (1989)

Kojak: Fatal Flaw

6.3

TV Movie

Detective Winston Blake

1989

 

Kojak: Ariana (1989)

Kojak: Ariana

6.3

TV Movie

Detective Winston Blake

1989

 

Producer

Rosita Lopez for President (2012)

Rosita Lopez for President

6.3

Short

executive producer

2012

 

Charles S. Dutton, Mario Van Peebles, and Andre Braugher in 10,000 Black Men Named George (2002)

10,000 Black Men Named George

6.9

TV Movie

executive producer (as André Braugher)

2002

 

Director

Louis Gossett Jr., Lynn Whitfield, Andre Braugher, and Robert Townsend in Love Songs (1999)

Love Songs

6.4

TV Movie

Director (segment Love Song for Dad, A)

1999