Lung cancer claimed Emmy-winning actor Andre Braugher’s life at 61, publicist says
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Andre Braugher, the Emmy-winning actor, who died this week at 61, was diagnosed with lung cancer.
The New York Times, quoting the publisher Jennifer Allen, said on Thursday, December 14, that he was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago before succumbing to the disease.
From 'Homicide' to 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine': Braugher’s versatile career
Braugher, who won his first Emmy in 1996, reached a younger audience with his portrayal of Captain Ray Holt on the popular television series 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine.'
His role as Captain Holt landed him four Emmy nominations. The actor died on Monday, December 11, after a brief illness, his publicist said.
Instantly recognizable for his deep voice, Braugher came to fame on the NBC drama 'Homicide: Life on the Street' which ran from 1992 to 1998. He won an Emmy for his portrayal of the tenacious and arrogant detective Frank Pembleton in 1998.
He also won another Emmy in 2006 for his role as a coolheaded crook in the six-part FX crime thriller 'Thief.' But it was his performance as the deadpan Captain Raymond Holt in the hit comedy 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' that made him most famous, appearing alongside Andy Samberg in eight seasons.
He won two Critics Choice Awards for best supporting actor in a comedy series and received four Emmy nominations for his performance as Holt, the precinct’s no-nonsense, Black and gay boss.
Andre Braughe was a Chicago native with a passion for theatre
Born in 1962 in Chicago as the youngest of four children, Braugher studied theatre on a Stanford scholarship before attending the Juilliard School for drama.
He made his Broadway debut in 1996 in Shakespeare’s Henry V and appeared in several other plays and films throughout his career. He is survived by his wife, actress Ami Brabson, and their three sons.
Andre Braugher had quit smoking a long while ago
Braugher was intensely private and “stopped drinking alcohol and smoking years ago," the New York Times magzine article published in 2014 revealed.
Andre Braugher's shatters the hearts of 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' fans (andrebraugher/Instagram)
His first film role came in 1989’s 'Glory' when he played a Union soldier in one of the American Civil War’s earliest African-American regiments. The film earned three Oscars, including best supporting actor for Braugher’s co-star Denzel Washington.
