Veteran actor Andre Braugher has died at the age of 61.

The actor is likely most known for his role as Detective Ray Holt on the NBC/Fox hit sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine from 2013 to 2021.

According to Variety, Braugher’s publicist, Jennifer Allen, confirmed the news of his passing. Braugher’s stoic yet warm portrayal of Holt in the ensemble comedy, which also starred Andy Samberg and Melissa Fumero, quickly made him a fan favorite and earned him multiple Emmy nominations.

But Brooklyn Nine-Nine wasn’t the first time Braugher gained recognition for his work on a police procedural show. He won the 1998 dramatic lead actor Emmy for his role as Detective Frank Pembleton on NBC’s Homicide: Life on Street. The actor’s committed performance came in the cherished police drama from Barry Levinson, Tom Fontana and David Simon, who penned the 1991 nonfiction book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, which inspired the show. 

Braugher was awarded his second Emmy for portraying a master criminal in FX’s 2006 series Thief.

Though Braugher is best known for playing police officers throughout his career, he understood the complicated nature of that reality. 

“Cops breaking the law to quote, ‘defend the law,’ is a real terrible slippery slope. It has given license to the breaking of law everywhere, justified it and excused it,” he explained to Variety in 2020. “That’s something that we’re going to have to collectively address — all cop shows.”

He also opened up to the outlet about his career trajectory and his commitment to family. 

“It’s been an interesting career, but I think it could have been larger,” he shared with Variety. “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.”

His other notable roles include the films Glory, City of Angels, Frequency and many more. 

His final project, Netflix’s Shondaland series, The Residence, will be released posthumously. Braugher had shot half of the series before the SAG-AFTRA strike. 

Braugher is survived by his wife, Ami Brabson, who also appeared in Homicide: Life on the Street, and their three children.