Remembering Andre Braugher's Life Through His Most Iconic Roles

Andre Braugher on 'Kojak'

Longtime fans will best remember Andre Braugher for his role as sidekick Det. Winston Blake on the late '80s Kojak TV movies.

"I feel that Kojak really introduced me to the fact that intense and meticulous preparation is essential for playing a role," he said in a 2006 chat with IGN. "Oftentimes, everything that I shot on that show was one take and one take only. That was when I got my first trial by fire, really."

Andre Braugher in 'Glory'

Also in the late '80s, Braugher joined screen stars Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman in the Civil War film Glory.

“It was an incredible honor to be involved in Glory and work amongst a tremendous cast to highlight some of our nation’s first Black military heroes,” he told The Wrap in 2015. “The film pays tribute to the brave soldiers and inspires us to defy adversity when all odds are against us, while paying tribute to those who selflessly fought to preserve the union during the American Civil War.”

Andre Braugher on 'Homicide: Life on the Street'

Another of Braugher's most memorable roles was that of Det. Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Street, which ran for nine seasons in the '90s on NBC.

"I had never seen an actor like that on television," writer and producer Tom Fontana once told the BBC. "His rhythms were so unique to him."

Andre Braugher Wins an Emmy

In 1998, Braugher won his first Emmy Award for his work on Homicide. He'd eventually rack up 11 nominations and two wins over the course of his career.

"This is for all the people in Baltimore," he said when accepting his award, giving a nod to the series' setting. "This is a town I love. We have finally made it."

Andre Braugher in 'City Of Angels'

Braugher played angel Cassiel opposite Nicolas Cage in the otherworldly romantic 1998 film, City of Angels.

Andre Braugher on 'Gideon's Crossing'

Braugher portrayed the head doctor in a Boston teaching hospital on ABC's Gideon's Crossing from 2000 to 2001. Though the series faced stiff ratings competition and lasted just one season, his work earned him another Emmy nomination plus the first of his two Golden Globe Award nominations.

Andre Braugher in 'Thief'

The FX 2006 miniseries Thief didn't last long, but it again drew attention to Braugher's stellar acting skills: the show won him his second Emmy Award and earned him his second Golden Globe Award nomination.

“Some of the best writing is on TV,” Braugher said in a Variety interview following the project's cancelation. “I’m going to be on TV as long as they’re fighting the good fight. I’m attracted to complex characters, and I’ll do it again and again. There’s a lesson to be learned in a show’s failure, but the lesson is not to draw back.”

Andre Braugher on 'House'

Braugher popped up on a few episodes of House during the series' early 2000s run, playing Dr. Gregory House's psychiatrist.

Andre Braugher on 'Men of a Certain Age'

In 2009, Braugher made a pivot to comedy and joined Ray Romano and Scott Bakula on TNT's Men of a Certain Age, which ran for two seasons.

“For me, the show seemed reflective of real life in that when something happens you don’t get a gag line for a laugh or the character then telling the other characters why he did what he did," Braugher told the Los Angeles Times. "I respond to that kind of showing, not telling, in scripts, where it’s acting, not just talking, that conveys feelings and meanings.”

Andre Braugher in 'Last Resort'

"Is he a madman or is he that father figure that's going to lead this entire crew back home?" Braugher asked HuffPost about his role as Capt. Marcus Chaplin on the 2012 ABC series about a submarine that's gone rogue. "It's really uncharted territory. Everything that happens is new and unexplored and absolutely fascinating."

Andre Braugher on 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine'

Today's fans most likely know Braugher from his tenure on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, on which he played the esteemed officer Raymond Holt opposite Andy Samberg and the show's lovably goofy cast of characters.

Of starring in a comedy for the first time, the actor told Variety in 2020, “I remember turning to my wife and asking her, ‘Is this funny?’ And she said, ‘Yes, of course, you’re not being deceived.’ But I kept looking at it, saying to myself, is this good? I couldn’t really judge.”

As the devoted fanbase would say, it was good. “I’ve been surprised by the youth of the audience, and how sharp and how emotionally engaged they are to the storytelling,” Braugher added. “It makes me proud of the work that we’ve done collectively to tell these stories and to elicit these feelings.”

Braugher scored four Emmy nominations and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for his work.

Andre Braugher in 'She Said'

The actor helped bring the Harvey Weinstein scandal to the big screen as New York Times editor Dean Baquet in 2022's She Said, starring Carey Mulligan.

Andre Braugher on 'The Good Fight'

The actor's most recent project was a 10-episode arc on The Good Fight opposite Christine Baranski and Audra McDonald.

"He's a very colorful character," Braugher told Collider of Ri'Chard Lane in 2022. "I just said to myself, 'It’s time to rise to the occasion.' "