Braugher's breakthrough came with his Emmy-winning lead role as Det. Frank Pembleton on the 1990s series “Homicide: Life on the Street.”
He would win his first career Emmy for the role, taking the trophy for lead actor in a drama series in 1998.
His career also included roles in “Glory” in 1989 and “Men of a Certain Age” in 2009-11, as well as “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”
He also had roles on NBC's "Law & Order: SVU," and other serious dramas and films, including "The Tuskegee Airmen."
Braugher won his second Emmy for lead actor in a miniseries or movie for the 2006 limited series “Thief” on FX. Braugher would be nominated for 11 Emmys overall.
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“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” gave him the opportunity to learn from Andy Samberg and the show’s other comedic actors as he shaped his performance as Capt. Ray Holt, who’s contented in his home life with husband Kevin (Marc Evan Jackson) but seeking to advance in the police ranks.
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“I just felt as though it was an opportunity to do something strikingly different from the rest of my career,” Braugher told the Associated Press in 2019. “I like it because it just simply opens up my mind and forces me to think in a different way. So I think I’ve become much more sort of supple as an actor, and more open to the incredible number of possibilities of how to play a scene.”
The news of Braugher's death has sparked several responses across Hollywood, including “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” co-star Terry Crews, who called Braugher's talent "irreplaceable."
"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. You taught me so much. I will be forever grateful for the experience of knowing you," Crews wrote in an Instagram post late Tuesday.
Braugher was married for more than 30 years to his “Homicide” co-star Ami Brabson. He is also survived by sons Michael, Isaiah and John Wesley, his brother Charles Jennings and his mother Sally Braugher.
