LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� , the Emmy-winning actor who would master gritty drama for seven seasons on "Homicide: Life on The Street鈥� and modern comedy for eight on 鈥淏rooklyn Nine-Nine,鈥� died Monday at 61.
Braugher died after a brief illness, his publicist Jennifer Allen told The Associated Press. No further details were given.
The Chicago-born actor would establish himself in the role of Det. Frank Pembleton, the lead role on 鈥淗omicide: Life on the Street,鈥� a dark police drama based on a book by David Simon, who would go on to create 鈥淭he Wire.鈥� The show, which focused on the homicide unit of the Baltimore Police Department, ran for seven seasons on NBC, and would win critical acclaim with Braugher as its dramatic center and breakout star.
He would win his first career for the role, taking the trophy for lead actor in a drama series in 1998.
He feared he would be typecast after spending most of the 1990s as the brooding detective.
鈥淚f I do it too long then I鈥檒l stop really searching and probing inside my own work,鈥� he told the AP in 1998. 鈥漈hat鈥檚 just a great danger. I think I鈥檓 going to escape that trap, and get an opportunity to do some work that will be more challenging for me."
That would not prove to be a problem. He would go on to play a very different kind of cop on a very different kind of show, shifting to comedy as Capt. Ray Holt on the Andy Samberg-starring 鈥淏rooklyn Nine-Nine.鈥� It would run for eight seasons from 2013 to 2021 on Fox and NBC.
Though he'd dipped his toe into comedy in the TNT dramedy 鈥淢en of a Certain Age,鈥� 鈥淏rooklyn Nine-Nine鈥� still represented a major shift for Braugher, who was known for acting in dark and heavy dramas.
鈥淚 just felt as though it was an opportunity to do something strikingly different from the rest of my career,鈥� Braugher in 2019. 鈥淚 like it because it just simply opens up my mind and forces me to think in a different way. So I think I鈥檝e become much more sort of supple as an actor, and more open to the incredible number of possibilities of how to play a scene."
He would be nominated for four Emmys during the run.
Braugher's 鈥淏rooklyn Nine-Nine鈥� co-star was among those paying tribute to him Monday night.
鈥淐an鈥檛 believe you鈥檙e gone so soon,鈥� Crews said on Instagram. "I鈥檓 honored to have known you, laughed with you, worked with you and shared 8 glorious years watching your irreplaceable talent. This hurts." He added, 鈥淵ou showed me what a life well-lived looked like.鈥�
Braugher most recently starred in 鈥淪he Said,鈥� the about the New York Times journalists who broke the story of Harvey Weinstein's years of sexually abusing women. Braugher played Times editor Dean Baquet.
Born and raised in Chicago, Braugher graduated from Stanford and got a master of fine arts degree from Juilliard.
He had his breakthrough role in 1989鈥檚 鈥淕lory,鈥� starring alongside Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington, who won an Oscar for the film about an all-Black Army regiment during the the Civil War.
Braugher played the bookish, frightened union corporal Thomas Searles in the film.
鈥淚 conceived that character as heroic, but I got a lot of scripts after that where I鈥檓 constantly crying,鈥� he told the AP in 1993.
Despite the part, he told the AP in 2019 that before 鈥淗omicide鈥� he struggled to find work in a Hollywood where roles for African American actors were 鈥渇ew and far between, Period.鈥�
Braugher won his second Emmy for lead actor in a miniseries or movie for the 2006 limited series 鈥淭hief鈥� on FX. Braugher would be nominated for 11 Emmys overall.
His other film credits included 鈥淧rimal Fear鈥� and 鈥淕et on the Bus," and his other TV credits included 鈥淗ack,鈥� 鈥淕ideon's Crossing鈥� and 鈥淭he Good Fight.鈥�
He also acted frequently on the stage, often doing Shakespeare. He won an Obie Award for playing the title role in 鈥淗enry V鈥� at the New York Shakespeare Festival, where he also appeared in 鈥淢easure for Measure,鈥� 鈥淭welfth Night鈥� and 鈥淎s You Like It.鈥�
Braugher was married for more than 30 years to his 鈥淗omicide鈥� co-star Ami Brabson. He is also survived by sons Michael, Isaiah and John Wesley, his brother Charles Jennings and his mother Sally Braugher.
Andrew Dalton, The Associated Press
