LOS ANGELES: Andre Braugher, the Emmy-winning actor best known for his roles on the series Homicide: Life on The Street and Brooklyn 99, died Monday at age 61.
Braugher's publicist Jennifer Allen confirmed his death to the trade publication Variety.
The Chicago-born actor had his breakthrough role in 1989's Glory, starring alongside Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington, who won an Oscar for the film about an all-Black army regiment during the Civil War.
Despite the part, he told The Associated Press in 2019 that he struggled to find work in Hollywood where roles for African-American actors were few and far between. Period. But he would establish himself with the role of Det.
Frank Pembleton, which he would play for seven seasons in Homicide: Life on the Street, a gritty police drama on NBC based on a book by David Simon, who would go on to create 'The Wire'.
"Years later he would 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 Fox series Brooklyn Nine-Nine. It would run for eight seasons from 2013 to 2021."
Braugher won two career Emmys from 11 nominations. He was married for more than 30 years to his Homicide co-star Ami Brabson. They had three sons. His death was first reported by Deadline.
