Andy Samberg fondly remembered his late Brooklyn Nine-Nine costar Andre Braugher, reflecting on their time together on the two-time Emmy-winning sitcom and how the show has endured for audiences since its conclusion in 2021.
During a recent episode of Good Hang with Amy Poehler, the Saturday Night Live alum discussed seeking Poehler’s advice on taking the lead role in the Mike Schur and Dan Goor-created series about a Brooklyn-based precinct, as the writers were also behind her Parks and Recreation. Samberg said he didn’t realize how well-known and beloved the show was until a family trip to Europe a couple years ago resulted in him getting recognized everywhere.
“It’s a gift that keeps giving,” the Palm Springs star said. “Because of the Netflix part of it, everywhere I went, it was like, ‘Jake Peralta!’ I felt like I was on Friends. I was like, ‘Oh my God, the show is actually really big and people really watch it.’ And kids love it and families watch it together, which was such a part of my experience growing up, was watching good quality sitcoms together as a family. And just being able to think that I did something that is that for people is really gratifying. And it was amazing, like I’m still really close with everyone I worked with there and loved it so much.”
Poehler then brought up Braugher, whom she described as a “poised … playful and fun” performer, and Samberg emphatically agreed, adding, “And just a good person. Like so deeply moral and kind and pleasant and smart. We all absolutely loved him. I miss him a lot. Our dynamic worked immediately. It was like one of those things where you’re just like, ‘This is kismet. I don’t know how to explain it.’”
He continued, describing their first table read together: “From that moment forward, the only thing me and him had to even talk about creatively was in the beginning he didn’t trust himself to do comedy because he came so strictly from drama and Juilliard and five or six times we would do a more serious topic on the show and he would flip that switch and everyone would be like, ‘Oh my God, what is Andre doing here? He’s so good.’”
A venerated actor, the two-time Emmy-winning Braugher died in December 2023 at the age of 61 from lung cancer. Outside of his fan-favorite role as the stoic yet playful leader Captain Ray Holt, he starred in series Homicide: Life On The Street, The Good Fight, Men of a Certain Age and Thief, as well as films Salt, Passengers, Glory and Primal Fear. The Juilliard-trained actor was also a prolific stage performer.
