The passing of Andre Braugher in December 2023 stunned the Brooklyn Nine-Nine fandom, compelling a revaluation of his decades-long career and rich legacy in acting. Though the Fox and NBC police procedural comedy series dominated the final years of his career, Braugher’s footprint transcends the Captain Raymond Holt role. The Chicago, Illinois native was going to become an engineer when he discovered acting and opted for a BA in theatre at Stanford University. He would later study drama at Juilliard before becoming a Shakespearean actor.
From the stage, the late American actor made his way to the small and big screens in 1989, respectively, as Detective Winston Blake in two Kojak television films and Corporal Thomas Searles in Edward Zwick’s Glory, which won three Oscars out of at least five nominations. With dozens of coveted award nominations and scores of acting roles, Andre Braugher had a memorable career that wouldn’t be forgotten any time soon. While his demise brought his career to an abrupt end, there’s no doubt he’d have a long-lasting impact on the industry, especially for his iconic portrayals of public servants in uniforms.
Andre Braugher’s Breakout Role Was As Detective Frank Pembleton
Roughly two decades before he debuted as NYPD’s first black gay police captain in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Andre Braugher played Detective Frank Pembleton in Paul Attanasio’s Homicide: Life on the Street. The NBC show ran for seven seasons with an ensemble cast that included Daniel Baldwin, Richard Belzer, Clark Johnson, and Yaphet Kotto, among others. But Braugher became the star of the show, which revolved around the operations of a fictionalized homicide unit of the Baltimore Police Department.
Andre Braugher’s portrayal of the character based on Harry Edgerton, a detective of the Baltimore Police Department, remains one of his most significant—a breakout role that demonstrated the late actor’s refined talent. His masterful depiction of Pembleton’s brilliance, subtle charisma, personal struggles, and moral complexity highlighted his versatility. An attribute that facilitated Braugher’s seamless navigation through the industry, allowing him to portray a diverse range of characters in various genres.
He reprised the role in the “Charm City” episode of Law & Order in 1996 and then in 2000’s Homicide: The Movie, a television film directed by Jean de Segonzac. In 1996, the role earned Braugher his first Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He lost to Dennis Franz but eventually bagged the award in 1998. The series also won him two Television Critics Association Awards in 1997 and 1998 for Individual Achievement in Drama. Earlier in 1995, he received the Viewers for Quality Television Award for the role; this was for Best Actor in a Quality Drama Series.
His First Police Role Was As Detective Winston Blake
While Detective Frank Pembleton is Andre Braugher’s breakout role, it wasn’t his first role as a law enforcement officer. His debut screen role in 1989 was as Detective Winston Blake in Paul Krasny’s Kojak: Arian. He starred in the crime drama alongside Telly Savalas’ Kojak, Shari Headley’s Trish Van Hogan, and Joe Grifasi’s Lieutenant Rastelli. Playing Kojak’s sidekick in the telefilm revival of Abby Mann’s Kojak set the precedent for what became the defining hallmark of Braugher’s 35-year career.
From 1989 to 1990, Andre Braugher reprised the Detective Winston Blake role in several Kojak television movies: Fatal Flaw, Flowers for Matty, It’s Always Something, and None So Blind. This and his robust theatrical training prepared him for his subsequent roles in police dramas. The Kojak role was essentially the late actor’s preliminary step towards his established reputation as an actor known for portraying law enforcement officers.
Andre Braugher Consolidated His Image as A Favorite Law Enforcer In Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Apart from his detective roles in the Kojak telefilms and NBC’s Homicide: Life on the Street, Andre Braugher portrayed similar characters in other productions. For instance, he played Captain Michael Bradford in Wolfgang Petersen’s Poseidon and the Secretary of Defense in Phillip Noyce’s Salt, respectively, in 2006 and 2010. Those were for the big screen. For television audiences, he performed as Sergeant Carlos Diaz in Soldier’s Girl, General George Mancheck in The Andromeda Strain, and Captain Marcus Chaplin in Last Resorts.
In 2013, the same year Andre Braugher wrapped up his portrayal of Colorado’s Commanding Officer in Last Resort, he took up the Captain Holt role in Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The series ran for eight seasons, concluding in September 2021 with a solid validation of Braugher’s ingenuity. Brooklyn Nine-Nine became the focal point of the late actor’s career for several reasons, ranging from the comedic appeal of the show to his character’s positive representation of queer people and the Black community. Among other prestigious awards, the role earned Braugher four Primetime Emmy nominations for
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