Tributes paid to Brooklyn Nine-Nine star who's died aged 61

Brooklyn Nine-Nine stars Terry Crews and Joe Lo Truglio were among those remembering US actor Andre Braugher for his “irreplaceable talent”, following his death aged 61.

The two-time Emmy winning actor was best known for starring in Homicide: Life On The Street, and as Captain Raymond Holt in US sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine about New York police officers in the fictional 99th Precinct.

Braugher died on Monday (11th December) after a brief illness, his publicist Jennifer Allen told the PA news agency.

During his established career, Braugher was nominated for 11 Emmy Awards – four of which were for his role in Brooklyn Nine-Nine which first aired in 2013 and ended after eight seasons in 2021.

Crews, who played Lieutenant Terry Jeffords in the comedy, paid tribute to US star Braugher who was “gone so soon”, ending the caption with #ninenine in reference to a fan-favourite saying on the show.

“I’m honoured to have known you, laughed with you, worked with you and shared eight glorious years watching your irreplaceable talent,” Crews said on Instagram.

“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.

“…You showed me what a life well lived looks like.”

Lo Truglio, who starred as Charles Boyle on the popular sitcom, said he remembers Braugher flying home from filming every weekend to be with his wife Ami Brabson and their three children.

He said on Instagram: “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.”

Lo Truglio described it as an honour to “work with a man who knew what it was really all about”, signing off the post as Porkchop – in reference to what Braugher once called his character on-screen.

Meanwhile actor Marc Evan Jackson, who played Braugher’s on-screen husband in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, shared a picture of the pair hugging while on set, wearing their wedding rings.

He captioned the post on X, formerly Twitter: “O Captain. My Captain.”

Chelsea Peretti, who played Braugher’s on-screen administrator Gina Linetti on the show, said she will miss his “dulcet tones”.

On Instagram she said: “Forever lucky to have gone on such a journey with you. Ringside seat. You were so funny to me and the epitome of still waters run deep.

“I will always cherish our conversations, often with me hanging in your doorway barring your exit, and the insane opportunity to be your sidekick.”

Braugher received an Emmy Award in 1998 for outstanding lead actor in a drama series following his role as Detective Frank Pembleton in Homicide: Life On The Street – which ran from 1993 until 1999.

The actor met his wife Ami during his time on the US drama, and they later had three sons.

David Simon, who wrote Homicide: A Year On The Killing Streets which inspired the series, said Braugher’s death was “too damn soon”.

“I’ve worked with a lot of wonderful actors. I’ll never work with one better,” he said on X.

“Stunned and thinking of Ami and his sons and so many memories of this good man that are now a blessing.”

Braugher later won an Emmy Award in 2006 for outstanding performance by a lead actor in a mini-series for his starring role in Thief, where he played professional burglar Nick Atwater – which also won him a Golden Globe nomination.

His break-out role was in the 1990 film Glory directed by Ed Zwick, alongside Hollywood stars Matthew Broderick, Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington – who won his first Academy Award for his supporting role in the film.

Other notable credits include starring as Benjamin O Davis in Tuskegee Airmen, Dr Ben Gideon in Gideon’s Crossing – which won him a Golden Globe nomination – and Owen in Men Of A Certain Age, all roles which won him Emmy Award nominations.

Mike Royce, who co-created Men Of A Certain Age, said on X: “This is impossible for me to process. He was best actor in the world. An incredible human being. An incomprehensible loss.”

Braugher most recently starred in She Said, the biographical drama which sees Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan play the investigative journalists who broke the Harvey Weinstein story.

He played Dean Baquet, the New York Times executive editor who oversaw the two reporters.

Other credits include starring in 2010 film Salt opposite Angelina Jolie; Passengers in 2008 alongside Anne Hathaway; Duets in 2000 with Gwyneth Paltrow; 1998’s City Of Angels with Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan; as well as working alongside Alec Baldwin in 1999’s Thick As Thieves and Primal Fear with Richard Gere in 1996.

He also starred in 2006 action film Poseidon, alongside Sweet Home Alabama star Josh Lucas.

Posting a picture of the pair on Instagram, Lucas wrote: “The great Andre Braugher passed away today. He was one of the first actors I ever worked with. And years later we did Poseidon together.

“I saw him perform Shakespeare in the Park and it was beyond memorable. It was an early preview and towards the end during his monologue as Henry V he just stopped. Dead stop. Silence.

“He put his head down and clearly we all realise he had forgotten his lines. The pause lasted what seemed an eternity and then like lightning he whipped his head up and exploded with greatness, word perfect.

“It was a performance I will always remember. He was an actor and man I always deeply respect.”

Other famous faces we've lost this year:

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