News broke on December 12 that Andre Braugher , star of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," passed away
the day before at the age of 61, reportedly from a short illness. In the wake of this
tragic news, the official "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" Instagram account posted:
"Always our Captain. We love you, Andre."
Across eight seasons from 2013 to 2021, Braugher played Captain Raymond Holt on the series,
which originally aired on Fox and moved to NBC for its final three seasons. The character was
revolutionary for a police procedural. Holt was a strict yet fair precinct captain who,
before the events of the show, struggled throughout his career because he was
an openly gay Black detective. When audiences and the precinct meet him,
Holt fully embraces his identity, and his squad accepts him without question.
"Do you, Kevin…"
"Yes."
"And do you…"
"Yes, yes, we do. We're married."
Braugher starred alongside a talented ensemble cast on "Brooklyn Nine-Nine."
While tributes are still pouring in, here's how the cast of this
beloved comedy responded to the tragic news of Braugher's passing so far.
Terry Crews, who played Terrence "Terry" Jeffords on the show,
took to Instagram to share his grief over the loss of his co-star,
posting a headshot of Andre Braugher and a heartfelt message that read in part:
"Can't believe you're gone so soon. I'm honored to have known you, laughed with you,
worked with you and shared 8 glorious years watching your irreplaceable talent. This
hurts. You left us too soon. [...] Thank you for your wisdom, your advice, your kindness
and your friendship. Deepest condolences to your wife and family in this difficult time."
Dirk Blocker and Joel McKinnon Miller, who played Michael Hitchcock and Norm Scully, also took to
social media and posted messages commemorating Braugher and the time they spent working with him.
On Instagram, Blocker wrote a touching post detailing
just how incredible Braugher was, saying:
"Fiercely intelligent, remarkably kind, supportive, generous and possessed a
deep and extraordinary talent, and had even more to offer. I am devastated. I
love him. The 9 years I was able to work with him and to just be in his presence
was truly a blessing. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family."
Miller also posted on Instagram, adding a caption
to a photo apparently taken behind the scenes of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," writing:
"An actor prepares… Sending love to Andre's family
and friends and all of us who had the honor of working with him."
Throughout the series, Braugher's character never hides that he's a proud queer Black man — and
eventually, we meet his husband, Kevin Cozner, played by Marc Evan Jackson. Though the two
experience some marital issues throughout the show they end up together at the series' conclusion.
"Apparently my husband Kevin has invited you all to my party. There is very little
street parking, no gifts, no singing of happy birthday. Should be fun."
Jackson kept things simple on Instagram, posting a photo of Braugher holding
him in a sweet embrace on Twitter and writing simply: "O Captain. My Captain."
Joe Lo Truglio, a comedy veteran who plays the precinct's favorite oddball Charles Boyle,
wrote an extremely touching ode to Braugher on Instagram in the wake of the actor's sudden
and shocking death. Lo Truglio posted a photo of Braugher laughing, writing:
"So many wonderful stories will be told about Andre but for now, all my love goes to his wife
Ami and his three boys, who he loved very much and flew back every weekend from the show to be with."
Lo Truglio went on to reveal that Braugher was extraordinarily focused on his family,
noting that Braugher constantly spoke about his love for them on set. He
also talked about Braugher's passion for acting, writing:
"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. I'm grateful to them for allowing us to
share eight years with him. He was committed and passionate about the things he loved."
The "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" star ended his tribute by expressing how much he misses Braugher, adding:
"What an honor to work with a man who knew what it was really all about. I
feel blessed and thankful. Miss you Capt Holt. Love, Porkchop."