O captain, my captain: Andre Braugher, best known for playing the much-loved Captain Raymond Holt in cop comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine, has died, aged 61, following a short illness.
Braugher captured our hearts playing Holt over the show’s eight seasons, from 2013 to 2021. The hyper-intelligent and eloquent character with a stern exterior but a heart of gold quickly became a fan favourite and source of endless memes.
The Chicago-born actor was also known for his roles in police drama Homicide: Life on the Street, Ray Romano’s comedy-drama Men of a Certain Age, crime miniseries Thief, sci-fi thriller Frequency, and horror flick The Mist. Since the end of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, he appeared in legal drama The Good Fight and She Said, based on the investigation into Harvey Weinstein, and will feature in upcoming Netflix series The Residence, about a murder scandal involving White House staff, opposite Orange Is the New Black‘s Uzo Aduba.
He won two Emmys, for his roles in Homicide and Thief, and was nominated four times for playing Captain Holt.
Braugher is survived by his wife, actor Ami Brabson, who co-starred in Homicide, and their three children.
The actor’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine co-stars have begun sharing their grief to Instagram, including Terry Crews, Joe Lo Truglio and Dirk Blocker.
Terry Crews wrote: “Can’t believe you’re gone so soon. 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. I will be forever grateful for the experience of knowing you. Thank you for your wisdom, your advice, your kindness and your friendship. Deepest condolences to your wife and family in this difficult time. You showed me what a life well lived looks like.
Rest In Peace, Andre. I love you, man. 😢❤️”
Lo Truglio wrote: “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. We all know how powerful an actor he was, but even more, Andre knew exactly well his most important role and was deeply proud of it. He spoke often about his sons, and knew how lucky he was to have Ami. I’m grateful to them for allowing us to share eight years with him. He was committed and passionate about the things he loved. And that voice. It laid anchor to the roughest of dialogue. What you probably don’t know is that Andre could sing too, and did often at lunch, belting bassy vocals from his dressing room to whatever new music he found. At first, it was odd because well…*it was Andre Braugher crooning at full volume from behind closed doors*…but then very quickly it made all the sense in the world because the man was so full of song and that’s why the world took notice. I miss him so much already. What an honor to work with a man who knew what it was really all about. I feel blessed and thankful. Miss you Capt Holt. Love, Porkchop.💔”
Blocker, who played Hitchcock on the series, wrote: “Fiercely intelligent, remarkably kind, supportive, generous and possessed a deep and extraordinary talent, and had even more to offer. 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. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family.”
They are joined by the series’ cinematographer Rick Page and Joel McKinnon Miller, who played Scully.
While we’re all in mourning, it feels like a good time to look rewatch the whole series, which is available to stream on Netflix.
RIP to comedy icon Andre Braugher.
