Fans are no doubt still processing the confounding loss of Andre Braugher, the acclaimed actor who died Tuesday just 61 years old. When picking favorite performances, there’s an embarassment of riches to choose from, but for many — including us — it was on the Fox-NBC sitcom “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” where Braugher’s best work can be found.
As Captain Holt, the no-nonsense precinct captain who makes a point of never showing his emotions, he lent the comedy a shocking amount of realistic gravitas despite the exagerated nature of the character. But he also demonstrated incredible comedic gifts.
Particularly whenever he acted opposite his costar Andy Samberg (the two had incredible comedic chemistry), playing foil to the undisciplined Det. Jake Peralta, Braugher delivered deadpanned punchlines that were always episodic highlights and helped make it one of the best television shows of its era.
In the video above, put together in 2019 by Comedy Bites, you can see 10 examples of the brilliance he brought to the show. It’s obviously far from an exhaustive list, but it might be the kick you needed to go an binge “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”