Terry Crews and ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ Collaborators Pay Tribute to Andre Braugher: ‘You Showed Me What a Life Well Lived Looks Like’

Hollywood is mourning Andre Braugher, the Emmy-winning actor known for “Homicide: Life on the Street,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and more, who died on Monday at age 61.

“Can’t believe you’re gone so soon,” wrote Terry Crews, who played Terry Jeffords in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” on Instagram. “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. Thank you for your wisdom, your advice, your kindness and your friendship. Deepest condolences to your wife and family in this difficult time. You showed me what a life well lived looks like.”

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“I will remember all the advice you gave me,” posted Melissa Fumero, who starred in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” as Amy Santiago. “I will remember all the times we laughed because your laugh was one of the all time greatest laughs to have ever existed. I will remember the deep love and loyalty you had for your family. I will remember it every time I ask work to make time for me to be with my family. I will remember how you sent me pictures of Fall trees in NJ because you knew how much I missed that time of year back east. I will remember you calling me Melly Fumé. I will remember so much. I really thought I’d see you again.”

Joe Lo Truglio, who played Charles Boyle in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” pointed to Braugher’s commitment to his family, saying on Instagram, “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. 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. He spoke often about his sons, and knew how lucky he was to have Ami.”

“He was committed and passionate about the things he loved, Lo Truglio continued. “And that voice. It laid anchor to the roughest of dialogue. What you probably don’t know is that Andre could sing too, and did often at lunch, belting bassy vocals from his dressing room to whatever new music he found. At first, it was odd because well …*it was Andre Braugher crooning at full volume from behind closed doors*… but then very quickly it made all the sense in the world because the man was so full of song and that’s why the world took notice. I miss him so much already. 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.”

Under a video of Braugher’s Holt congratulating her character, Rosa Diaz, for coming out at bisexual, Stephanie Beatriz simply wrote “Andre. ❤️”

“O Captain. My Captain,” wrote Marc Evan Jackson on X, formerly known as Twitter. Jackson played Kevin, the husband of Braugher’s Captain Holt, in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”

“Love you,” wrote Chelsea Peretti, who played Gina Linetti in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” “Will miss your dulcet tones. Forever lucky to have gone on such a journey with you. Ringside seat. You were so funny to me and the epitome of still waters run deep. I will always cherish our conversations, often with me hanging in your doorway barring your exit, and the insane opportunity to be your sidekick. Is it weird that I am also grieving for what Captain Holt meant to Gina? I really hoped and knew I would see you again. Hate that I won’t.”

“An actor prepares… Sending love to Andre’s family and friends and all of us who had the honor of working with him,” said Joel McKinnon Miller, who played Norm Scully in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” in an Instagram post.

“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” star Dirk Blocker, who played Michael Hitchcock, said, “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.”

“Insecure” showrunner Prentice Penny, who also wrote for “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” recalled an on-set memory between himself, Crews and Braugher: “He was so warm with us and then when a white person would walk by, he’d look serious again. He then leaned in and said ‘Gotta keep ‘em on they toes.'”

“I got to know Andre a little while doing the Brooklyn Nine-Nine pilot,” wrote Chris Miller. “He was a kind, thoughtful, supremely talented person. The way he and Andy [Samberg’s] opposite approaches to acting baffled & then slowly influenced each other was a magical dynamic that was the heart of the show.”

David Simon, the creator of “The Wire” who wrote the book on which “Homicide: Life on the Streets” was based, said, “I’ve worked with a lot of wonderful actors. I’ll never work with one better.”

Ryan Case, a director and editor on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” posted a thread about her memories with Braugher. “Several members of the crew once told me they’d never seen someone smile as much as me when I was discussing Sex and the City at length over a long lunch on an empty set with Andre,” she wrote on X. “My cheeks actually hurt.”

“Andre Braugher was the actor that others in the profession would always aspire to be,” NBC and Universal Television said in a statement, having aired and produced both “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” “He infused Det. Frank Pembleton on ‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ with both righteous ferocity and quiet dignity. In addition to his prowess as a dramatic actor, his comedy chops were also on full display as the determined and passionate Capt. Holt in ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine.’ His performances will continue to inspire future generations and we will miss him tremendously.”

Fox, which aired the first five seasons of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” issued a statement saying, “Everyone at Fox is devastated by the sudden loss of our friend and colleague, the incredibly talented Andre Braugher. He will most certainly be remembered for his iconic comedic and dramatic roles across both film and television, but he will be remembered mostly for his big heart, kindness and the lasting impact he made on his friends, family and fans everywhere. Andre was the heart and soul of the ‘Nine-Nine’ and will forever be our Captain. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Andre’s family and loved ones at this time.”

“This is impossible for me to process,” posted Mike Royce, creator of “Men of a Certain Age,” which Braugher starred in from 2009 to 2011. “He was best actor in the world. An incredible human being. An incomprehensible loss.”

“What an incredible loss. An absolute titan,” said Nick Adams, a writer-producer for “Bojack Horseman,” on which Braugher guest starred. “Hearing this man speak words that I wrote was an absolute high point of my career.”

See more tributes to Braugher below.

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