Emmy-Winning Actor Andre Braugher Dies At Age 61

Emmy Award-winning actor Andre Braugher has passed away at the age of 61. 

Braugher most recently appeared on Broadway opposite Debra Messing in the play Birthday Candles. His Off-Broadway credits include The Whipping Man, Hamlet, Henry V, The Tragedy of Richard II, Measure for Measure, Twelfth Night or What You Will, Coriolanus, King John, Much Ado About Nothing.

Braugher portrayed Captain Raymond Holt on the hit comedy series BROOKLYN NINE-NINE from 2013 until 2021. Perhaps best known for his riveting Emmy Award-winning portrayal of Detective Frank Pembleton, Braugher won a second Emmy Award in 2006 for Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Mini-Series for his starring role in mini-series "Thief," which aired on FX.

Braugher was one of the stars of the TNT series "Men of a Certain Age" alongside Ray Romano and Scott Bakula. Braugher received an Emmy Award nomination for his role in the show which returns for the second season on December 6.

Braugher co-starred in the feature film Salt opposite Angelina Jolie for director Phillip Noyce. Prior to that he co-starred in Passengers opposite Anne Hathaway; in the Frank Darabont film THE MIST based on the novel by Stephen KING and in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. He was also seen starring in the sci-fi mini-series "The Andromeda Strain" alongside Benjamin Bratt and Eric McCormack for A&E.

In 2004, Braugher starred in the TNT original four-hour mini-series "Salem's Lot” based on the best-selling novel by Stephen King. Prior to that film, he starred in the Showtime Original Film "A Soldier's Girl."

In 2002, he starred in the critically 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. Braugher served as Executive Producer on this film and he received an NAACP Award nomination for his role as A. Philip Randolph.

In 2000-2001, Braugher starred in the critically acclaimed ABC drama series "Gideon's Crossing," which was created by Paul Attanasio also one of the creators of "Homicide: Life on the Street." Braugher received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Dr. Ben Gideon.

In 1999 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) garnering critical acclaim for his performance.

In addition to Braugher's success on the small screen, audiences have seen him star in a variety of feature film roles. Most recently he co-starred in 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 a part of an ensemble cast, which 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.

Braugher's other notable feature film credits include 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.

In 2006, he received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Mini-Series and a Golden Globe Award nomination for his role as Nick Atwater in mini-series "Thief." In 2001, he received an Emmy Award nomination and a Golden Globe Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Dr. Ben Gideon in "Gideon's Crossing." In 1998 he received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for portrayal of Detective Frank Pembleton on "Homicide: Life on the Street." In 1996 he received two Emmy Award nominations – one for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role in "Homicide: Life on the Street" and one for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Mini-Series for his work in the Peabody Award-winning HBO production "The Tuskeegee Airmen."

His other television credits include him reprising his Emmy Award-winning role of Detective Frank Pembleton in the two-hour NBC Special "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.

Braugher, who was born and raised in Chicago, earned a B.A. from Stanford University and an M.F.A. from Juilliard.

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