Andre Braugher’s final project turned out to be a West Wing-esque political drama that could air after his shock death.
The Emmy-winning actor, best known to many for his performance as Captain Raymond Holt in police comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine, died on Monday (11 December) after a brief illness.
At the time of his death, the 61-year-old was mid-way through filming The Residence, a series described by Netflix as “a screwball whodunnit set in the upstairs, downstairs, and backstairs of the White House, among the eclectic staff of the world’s most famous mansion”.
The show is the latest Netflix release from producer Shonda Rhimes, responsible for hits including Grey’s Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder and Bridgerton.
While droves of younger viewers will know bass-voiced Braugher best as Capt Holt – the hard-nosed police captain with a secret heart of gold – Braugher also had legions of older fans due to his performances in hard-hitting dramas such as Glory and Homicide: Life on the Street.
And despite the tough guy character he carved out in those shows, the actor was known for his softer side behind the scenes, and would delight his BNN castmates by singing to his dog on set.
Braugher’s final acting job on The Residence was due to take him back to the world of the dramatic.
Executive producer Shonda Rhimes is working on ‘The Residence'— (AFP via Getty Images)
Created by showrunner Paul William Davies, it’s an adaptation of the novel The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Anderson Brower.
The series, like the book, will revolve around a murder scandal taking place among White House staffers.
Braugher had been cast in the series as White House usher AB Wynter opposite Orange is the New Black star Uzo Aduba as eccentric detective Cordelia Cupp.
Susan Kelechi Watson, Jason Lee and Randall Park are also among the cast.
Braugher’s casting was announced in February, with filming taking place earlier this year. However, production on the series came to a halt in May, when the writers’ strike began as the Writers Guild of America withdrew their labour in protest against reduced residual payments and streaming-linked issues.
According to a report by Deadline, four of the planned eight episodes of The Residence had been filmed before the strikes, with filming due to resume on 2 January.
It’s unclear whether the show will stick to this date, or if Braugher’s role will be recast or written out of the show.
The Independent has contacted Netflix and Shondaland for comment.
Braugher won Emmys for his performances in Homicide: Life on the Streets and Thief.
His role on The Residence comes after his long-running role in all eight seasons of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and in the final season of legal drama The Good Fight.
In a 2015 interview with Today, Braugher explained he’d taken on the BNN role as he needed a change.
Braugher with the cast of ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’— (Getty Images)
“I’ve been working on shows that are just dealing with dangerous subject matter and a lot of emotional turmoil,” he said. “I felt I needed to grow as an artist, do something different and challenge myself. Men of a Certain Age (the 2009 series) was the beginning of that change and I was lucky enough to be a part of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”
He added: “I feel as though my mind is expanding. My capabilities as an actor, my ability to mine the comedy is really rising up for the first time in my life. I’m really happy about this stage.”
According to reports, Braugher was a member of the Unitarian Universalist faith, a liberal religious movement centred around “free and responsible search for truth and meaning”.
While his BNN character Capt Holt was well known for his love of his corgi Cheddar, Braugher had his own beloved dog.
Speaking toThe Los Angeles Times in 2014, Braugher said he would often sing with his pet on set of the show.
“Our dressing rooms are right down the hallway from each other so my crazy lab mix was with me last year, and we (were) doing a little singing,” Braugher said.
The actor added his dog was a fan of Beyoncé, as well as Anthony Hamilton and James Blake and “a lot of R&B”.
