Andre Braugher’s passing has left the film community in shock and mourning. The Brooklyn Nine-Nine star was a gifted actor as evident from his eleven Primetime Emmy award nominations and two wins. Braugher once revealed that he intentionally limited his career aspirations to prioritize his family. He is survived by his wife, Ami Brabson, and their three children, Michael, Isaiah, and John Wesley.
Besides his famous role as Captain Raymond Holt in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Braugher also gained acclaim for his role as Det. Frank Pembleton in NBC’s Homicide: Life on the Street. His first Emmy win came from this role, and he ironically secured his second Emmy for playing a thief Nick Atwater in FX’s Thief, showcasing his remarkable acting range.
Andre Braugher’s Heartwarming Reason For Not Pursuing Bigger Career Opportunities
Andre Braugher met his wife, Ami Brabson, on the set of Homicide: Life on the Street. Brabson played Braugher’s on-screen wife, Mary, on the show. During an interview with Variety, Braugher opened up about his family and their importance in his life. Braugher revealed that he and his wife grew up in similar neighborhoods and therefore shared similar values, fostering a better understanding between them.
Brabson played a crucial role in encouraging Braugher to take on the Brooklyn Nine-Nine role, which deviated from his typical heavy-weight roles. The Glory actor recalled asking his wife whether his role was actually funny. Her answer, “Yes, of course, you’re not being deceived,” gave him the confidence to move forward.
Throughout the filming of Brooklyn Nine-Nine in Los Angeles, Braugher prioritized his wife and three sons, regularly flying back to New York on weekends. Braugher could have done more with his career, as he had aspirations to venture into more disciplines like directing and producing. But he was not ready to achieve it all at the expense of his personal life. Braugher told Variety:
“It’s been an interesting career, but I think it could have been larger. I think it could have spanned more disciplines: directing, producing, all these other different things. But it would have been at the expense of my own life.”
The Law & Order: SVU actor shared that there was no substance to celebrity life, and his family was too precious not to spend quality time with.
Andre Braugher’s Family-First Principle Passed Down from His Father
The Gideon’s Crossing actor shared that he hadn’t been to Australia or Prague or any of the far-off countries for his career. He wanted to be there for his sons throughout the course of their lives. He hated being the father who takes their children to the circus every once in a while. Braugher’s ‘dad’ quality was passed on to him by his dad, Floyd Braugher, who was a heavy equipment operator.
His father always looked out for him and wanted him to become an engineer. But when Braugher changed his major midway through Stanford University, his father couldn’t understand why he wanted to pursue acting. His father had many questions out of concern, but more importantly, he was scared for his son. Braugher shared with Variety:
“He just said, ‘What is it that actors do? Do they travel around the country? Do they juggle? What is it? Like, how do people make a living?’ My father was just simply scared for me. He was watching me, in his eyes, throw away a perfectly good career to experiment with the arts.”
His accolades are enough to prove that the world has truly lost a great actor. But Andre Braugher’s family has suffered the profound loss of a loving husband and father.
