Andre Braugher has tragically passed away at the age of 61, following a brief illness. He is survived by his wife, Ami Brabson, and his three sons Michael, Isaiah, and John.
He was an incredible talent, starring in films including Glory and She Said, and TV shows such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Fight, and Homicide: Life on the Street. Furthermore, he was a great friend to many of his co-workers. Following the news of his unexpected passing, plenty of those friends have posted heartfelt tributes on social media. There’s a great many of these heartbroken posts—a sign of just how beloved Braugher was.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Braugher left behind a remarkable body of work, but one of the things he’s most remembered for is his role as the hilariously stoic Captain Raymond Holt on the hit Fox sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
One of the most poignant tributes came from Marc Evan Jackson, who played Braugher’s onscreen husband, Kevin. He posted a picture of himself and Braugher, captioned simply, “O Captain. My Captain.”
Joe Lo Truglio, who played Charles Boyle, wrote a long and touching Instagram post that begins, “So many wonderful stories will be told about Andre but for now, all my love goes to his wife Ami and his three boys, who he loved very much and flew back every weekend from the show to be with.”
Chelsea Peretti, who was Gina Linetti in seasons 1-6 of the show, wrote a touching tribute on Instagram as well. “Forever lucky to have gone on such a journey with you. Ringside seat. You were so funny to me and the epitome of still waters run deep,” said Peretti, adding, “Is it weird that I am also grieving for what Captain Holt meant to Gina?”
Terry Jeffords actor Terry Crews wrote a tribute directly to Braugher, which said, “I’m honored to have known you, laughed with you, worked with you and shared 8 glorious years watching your irreplaceable talent. This hurts. You left us too soon. You taught me so much.”
Ryan Case, a director and editor on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, posted a thread about her favorite memories of Braugher on the set. “I remember riding with him in a van to the table read of the pilot and he was so grateful to be there,” she wrote.
There was also love from everyone’s favorite Brooklyn Nine-Nine comedic duo. Scully actor Joel McKinnon Miller posted “Sending love to Andre’s family and friends and all of us who had the honor of working with him,” while Dirk Blocker, a.k.a. Hitchcock, wrote, “I am devastated. I love him. The 9 years I was able to work with him and to just be in his presence was truly a blessing.”
The Good Fight
Some of Braugher’s co-stars from The Good Fight, where he played Ri’Chard Lane for 10 episodes, also paid tribute to the actor on social media. Carrie Preston called Braugher an “acting giant” whose death is “a true loss to the world of acting and to the world in general.”
And Audra McDonald wrote on her Instagram account, “I cannot process the news of Andre’s passing. He was the most generous, brilliant, intelligent and hilarious soul. He joined The Good Fight late in our run but from day one it was if he had always been a part of our family.”
Homicide: Life on the Street
Many people first discovered Andre Braugher’s acting talents in the ’90s police drama series Homicide: Life on the Street, where he played Detective Frank Pembleton. He co-starred with Reed Diamond, who supplied a statement to The Hollywood Reporter:
Andre was an inspiration as a man, and as an actor. As a first year student at Juilliard, I was plunked into a spear carrying role in his fourth year production of Othello. His performance in the title role was astounding, and I marveled at it every night. Several years later I followed him onto Homicide, and like everyone else, was blown away by his power and talent. But, honestly what I most remember, and have always tried to emulate, was who he was as a father and as a husband. He always seemed to have what was most important in this life figured out. A tremendous loss. My deepest condolences and most heartfelt love to his family.
David Simon, who wrote the book which Homicide: Life on the Street was based on, posted on the social media platform X, “Andre Braugher. God. I’ve worked with a lot of wonderful actors. I’ll never work with one better.”
More tributes
EGOT-winning actress Viola Davis, who starred opposite Braugher in Live in Front of a Studio Audience in 2019, wrote on her Instagram account that he “went way too soon” and was a “great man.”
Mike Royce, who co-created the Braugher-starring series Men of a Certain Age, wrote on X, “This is impossible for me to process. He was [the] best actor in the world. An incredible human being. An incomprehensible loss.”
Costume designer and two-time Oscar winner Ruth E. Carter said, “Rest in Power Andre Braugher. A powerful actor. My work with him on this project ‘Thief’ was nothing short of seeing pure talent and integrity at work.”
Although Braugher died at a tragically early age, his memory will live on forever, as evidenced by all these tributes from people whose lives he touched. His family has requested that, “in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Classical Theater of Harlem, where Braugher served on the board,” and you can make a donation via the official website.
(featured image: NBC)
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Sarah Barrett
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