Andre Braugher
Encyclopedia
Andre Braugher is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Thomas Searles in the film Glory, as the fiery detective Frank Pembleton
on Homicide: Life on the Street
from 1993 to 1998 and again in the 2000 made-for-TV film Homicide: Life on the Street
, and as Owen Thoreau Jr. on the TNT show Men of a Certain Age
.
, and Floyd Braugher, a heavy-equipment operator. He attended St. Ignatius College Prep
and later graduated from Stanford University
with a B.A.
in theater in 1984. Braugher then attended the Juilliard School
in New York City
, graduating in 1988 where he was acknowledged as the Most Outstanding Theater Student at graduation.
role was in the 1989's Glory as Thomas Searles, a free, educated black from the North who joins the first black regiment in the Union Army
.
He subsequently moved on to a role on the television series Homicide: Life on the Street
as Det. Frank Pembleton
, a self-righteous, fiery, unyielding, Jesuit
-educated police detective. Playing opposite Kyle Secor
(who portrayed Det. Tim Bayliss
), Braugher became the series' breakout star. He received Television Critics Association awards for individual achievement in drama in 1997 and 1998. He was nominated for an Emmy Award
for best actor in a drama series in 1996 and 1998, winning in the latter year.
He left Homicide after its sixth season but returned for the successful reunion television film
. He has also starred in the films City of Angels and Poseidon
. He played Kojak's side-kick in the late-1980's ABC
television film revival of Kojak
.
In 1997 he was selected by People
as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World".
At New York City's Shakespeare in the Park
Festival from June 18 to July 14, 1996 at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park
, Braugher played the title role in Henry V
for which he received an Obie Award
. In 2000, he played the title role as Ben Gideon in the series Gideon's Crossing
, which lasted one season.
In 2002, Braugher narrated the award-winning, PBS-broadcast documentary Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet
, produced by Unity Productions Foundation and recently re-issued.
He played Detective Marcellus Washington in the TV series Hack from 2002-2004. In 2006, Braugher starred as Nick Atwater in the mini-series Thief
for FX Networks, winning a second Emmy for his performance. He portrayed General Hager in the 2007 film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
.
Braugher has been seen on the TV series House, M.D.
as Dr. Nolan, a psychiatrist who helps House recover from his addiction to Vicodin
. He also recently appeared in the highly acclaimed TNT series Men of a Certain Age
, for which he was nominated twice for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. The series was cancelled on July 15, 2011 due to low ratings. He also voiced the villain Darkseid
in the animated film, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
.
Despite the fact that Homicide and the Law & Order franchise share the same continuity, Braugher currently has a recurring role as defense attorney Bayard Ellis on Law & Order SVU -- even sharing screen time with former Homicide character John Munch
-- with no reference to Braugher's role as Frank Pembleton.
Braugher is co-starring in the Manhattan Theatre Club's production of The Whipping Man, off-Broadway, for a limited run from January–March 2011.
Braugher also narrates James Patterson's
new Alex Cross
book, Cross Fire (2010).
. Braugher and his family are Unitarian Universalists.
Frank Pembleton
Francis Xavier "Frank" Pembleton is a fictional homicide detective on the television drama series Homicide: Life on the Street portrayed by Emmy Award winning actor Andre Braugher. He is a primary character of the show through the first six seasons...
on Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street is an American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons on NBC from 1993 to 1999, and was succeeded by a TV movie, which also acted as the de-facto series finale...
from 1993 to 1998 and again in the 2000 made-for-TV film Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street is an American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons on NBC from 1993 to 1999, and was succeeded by a TV movie, which also acted as the de-facto series finale...
, and as Owen Thoreau Jr. on the TNT show Men of a Certain Age
Men of a Certain Age
Men of a Certain Age is an American comedy-drama television series, which premiered on TNT on December 7, 2009. The hour-long program stars Ray Romano, Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula as three best friends in their late forties dealing with the realities of middle age. The show ran for two years,...
.
Early life
Braugher, the youngest of four children, was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Sally, a postal workerPostal worker
A postal worker is one who works for a post office, such as a mail carrier. In the U.S., postal workers are represented by the and the American Postal Workers Union, part of the AFL-CIO. In Canada, they are represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and in the United Kingdom by the...
, and Floyd Braugher, a heavy-equipment operator. He attended St. Ignatius College Prep
St. Ignatius College Prep
Saint Ignatius College Prep is a private, coeducational Jesuit high school located in Chicago, Illinois. The school was founded in Chicago in 1870 by Fr. Arnold Damen, S.J., a Belgian missionary to the United States. The school is coeducational, Catholic, college preparatory and sponsored by the...
and later graduated from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in theater in 1984. Braugher then attended the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, graduating in 1988 where he was acknowledged as the Most Outstanding Theater Student at graduation.
Career
Braugher's first filmFilm
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
role was in the 1989's Glory as Thomas Searles, a free, educated black from the North who joins the first black regiment in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
.
He subsequently moved on to a role on the television series Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street is an American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons on NBC from 1993 to 1999, and was succeeded by a TV movie, which also acted as the de-facto series finale...
as Det. Frank Pembleton
Frank Pembleton
Francis Xavier "Frank" Pembleton is a fictional homicide detective on the television drama series Homicide: Life on the Street portrayed by Emmy Award winning actor Andre Braugher. He is a primary character of the show through the first six seasons...
, a self-righteous, fiery, unyielding, Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
-educated police detective. Playing opposite Kyle Secor
Kyle Secor
Kyle Ivan Secor is an American television and movie actor, best known for his role as Detective Tim Bayliss on the crime drama Homicide: Life on the Street.-Early years:...
(who portrayed Det. Tim Bayliss
Tim Bayliss
Timothy Bayliss is a fictional detective on Homicide: Life on the Street. He was a primary character, and was played by Kyle Secor. He was loosely based on the real-life Det...
), Braugher became the series' breakout star. He received Television Critics Association awards for individual achievement in drama in 1997 and 1998. He was nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for best actor in a drama series in 1996 and 1998, winning in the latter year.
He left Homicide after its sixth season but returned for the successful reunion television film
Homicide: The Movie
Homicide: The Movie is a television movie that aired 13 February 2000, one year after the completion of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street...
. He has also starred in the films City of Angels and Poseidon
Poseidon (film)
Poseidon is a 2006 disaster film directed by Wolfgang Petersen, the third film adaptation of the novel The Poseidon Adventure written by Paul Gallico, and a loose remake of the 1972 film of the same name. It stars Kurt Russell, Josh Lucas and Richard Dreyfuss. It was directed by Wolfgang Petersen...
. He played Kojak's side-kick in the late-1980's ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television film revival of Kojak
Kojak
Kojak is an American television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, bald New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak. It aired from October 24, 1973, to March 18, 1978, on CBS. It took the time slot of the popular Cannon series, which was moved one hour earlier...
.
In 1997 he was selected by People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World".
At New York City's Shakespeare in the Park
Shakespeare in the Park
Shakespeare in the Park is a concept used across the world, as a form of free public presentation of William Shakespeare's works. Such performances exist in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America....
Festival from June 18 to July 14, 1996 at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
, Braugher played the title role in Henry V
Henry V (play)
Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in approximately 1599. Its full titles are The Cronicle History of Henry the Fifth and The Life of Henry the Fifth...
for which he received an Obie Award
Obie Award
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City...
. In 2000, he played the title role as Ben Gideon in the series Gideon's Crossing
Gideon's Crossing
Gideon's Crossing is a US medical drama starring Andre Braugher. The series was loosely based on the experience of real-life physician Jerome Groopman and his book The Measure of Our Days. It premiered on October 10, 2000, and ran for one season, with its last episode airing on April 9, 2001, with...
, which lasted one season.
In 2002, Braugher narrated the award-winning, PBS-broadcast documentary Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet
Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet
Muhammad: Legacy of the Prophet is a PBS documentary film about the life of Islamic prophet Muhammad based on historical records and on the stories of living American Muslims who call Muhammad the Messenger of God...
, produced by Unity Productions Foundation and recently re-issued.
He played Detective Marcellus Washington in the TV series Hack from 2002-2004. In 2006, Braugher starred as Nick Atwater in the mini-series Thief
Thief (TV series)
Thief is an FX television mini-series which debuted on March 28, 2006 .Andre Braugher stars as Nick Atwater, the leader of a robbery crew balancing his personal life with the planning of a major heist...
for FX Networks, winning a second Emmy for his performance. He portrayed General Hager in the 2007 film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is a 2007 American superhero film, and the sequel to the 2005 film Fantastic Four. Both films are based on the Fantastic Four comic book and were directed by Tim Story...
.
Braugher has been seen on the TV series House, M.D.
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
as Dr. Nolan, a psychiatrist who helps House recover from his addiction to Vicodin
Vicodin
Hydrocodone/paracetamol is a combination of two analgesic products hydrocodone and paracetamol used to relieve moderate to severe pain...
. He also recently appeared in the highly acclaimed TNT series Men of a Certain Age
Men of a Certain Age
Men of a Certain Age is an American comedy-drama television series, which premiered on TNT on December 7, 2009. The hour-long program stars Ray Romano, Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula as three best friends in their late forties dealing with the realities of middle age. The show ran for two years,...
, for which he was nominated twice for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. The series was cancelled on July 15, 2011 due to low ratings. He also voiced the villain Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
in the animated film, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is a 2010 direct-to-video animated film based on the Superman/Batman comic storyline "The Supergirl from Krypton" and is a sequel to Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. The art style is partly based on that of Michael Turner, who penciled the Superman/Batman comic book arc...
.
Despite the fact that Homicide and the Law & Order franchise share the same continuity, Braugher currently has a recurring role as defense attorney Bayard Ellis on Law & Order SVU -- even sharing screen time with former Homicide character John Munch
John Munch
Sergeant John Munch is a fictional character played by actor Richard Belzer. Munch first appeared on Homicide: Life on the Street. Upon that series' cancellation, the character was transplanted to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the first spin-off of the Law & Order franchise...
-- with no reference to Braugher's role as Frank Pembleton.
Braugher is co-starring in the Manhattan Theatre Club's production of The Whipping Man, off-Broadway, for a limited run from January–March 2011.
Braugher also narrates James Patterson's
James Patterson
James B. Patterson is an American author of thriller novels, largely known for his series about American psychologist Alex Cross...
new Alex Cross
Alex Cross
Alex Cross is a fictional character, the protagonist in a series of books by novelist James Patterson.-Character overview:Cross is a Black detective and psychologist living and working in the Southeast quadrant of Washington, D.C...
book, Cross Fire (2010).
Personal life
In 1991, Braugher married Ami Brabson, an actress who later played Pembleton's wife Mary on Homicide. The couple has three sons: Michael (1992), Isaiah (1997), and John Wesley (JW) (2003). They reside in South Orange, New JerseySouth Orange, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,964 people, 5,522 households, and 3,766 families residing in the township. The population density was 5,945.3 people per square mile . There were 5,671 housing units at an average density of 1,987.5 per square mile...
. Braugher and his family are Unitarian Universalists.
Filmography
- Glory (1989)
- Somebody Has To Shoot the PictureSomebody has to Shoot the pictureSomebody has to Shoot the Picture is a 1990 prison film TV movie written by photojournalist Doug Magee, inspired by his interviews with and photos of death row prisoners. The film was directed by Frank Pierson.-Cast, selected:...
(1990) - The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson (1990)
- Homicide: Life on the Street (TV series) (1993–1998)
- Class of '61Class of '61Class of '61 is a 1993 television film produced by Steven Spielberg as a projected television series about the American Civil War. The film was filmed in Charleston, South Carolina and Atlanta and was the first collaboration between Spielberg and cinematographer Janusz Kaminski.-Plot:The film...
(1993) - Striking DistanceStriking DistanceStriking Distance is a 1993 thriller starring Bruce Willis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dennis Farina, and Tom Sizemore as Pittsburgh Police officers pursuing a serial killer. It was directed by Rowdy Herrington and written by Herrington and Marty Kaplan...
(1993) - The Tuskegee AirmenThe Tuskegee AirmenThe Tuskegee Airmen is a 1995 HBO television movie based on the exploits of an actual groundbreaking unit, the first African American combat pilots in the United States Army Air Force, that fought in World War II.-Plot:...
(1995) - Primal FearPrimal Fear (film)Primal Fear is a 1996 American crime drama thriller film directed by Gregory Hoblit and starring Richard Gere and Edward Norton. The film tells the story of a defense attorney, Martin Vail , who defends an altar boy, Aaron Stampler , charged with the murder of a Catholic archbishop. The movie is an...
(1996) - Get on the BusGet on the BusGet on the Bus is a 1996 film about a group of African-American men who are taking a cross-country bus trip in order to participate in the Million Man March. The film was directed by Spike Lee and premiered on the one-year anniversary of the march....
(1996) - Thick as Thieves (1998)
- City of Angels (1998)
- Africans in America: America's Journey Through Slavery (1998)
- Passing GloryPassing GloryPassing Glory is a 1999 basketball-drama film, written by Harold Sylvester, and directed by Steve James. This movie stars Andre Braugher, Rip Torn, and Sean Squire. The film also features a speaking role by Arthur Agee, the subject of the documentary "Hoop Dreams", also directed by Steve James...
(1999) - Love SongsLove Songs (film)Love Songs is a 2007 French musical film directed by Christophe Honoré, starring Louis Garrel, Ludivine Sagnier and Chiara Mastroianni. It was one of the 20 films selected for the main competition at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
(1999) - It's the RageIt's the Rage (film)It's the Rage is a 1999 film version of Keith Reddin's play "The Alarmist" about three interconnected stories and how handguns affect each of the nine people involved. The film is James D. Stern's first time directing a feature, and boasts an all-star cast....
(1999) - A Better Way to Die (2000)
- Homicide: The MovieHomicide: The MovieHomicide: The Movie is a television movie that aired 13 February 2000, one year after the completion of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street...
(2000) - FrequencyFrequency (film)Frequency is a 2000 science-fiction film that contains elements of the time travel, thriller and alternate history film genres. It was directed by Gregory Hoblit and written by Toby Emmerich. The film stars Dennis Quaid and James Caviezel as father and son, Frank and John Sullivan respectively. It...
(2000) - DuetsDuetsAn original motion picture soundtrack CD was released on September 12, 2000 by Hollywood Records. The CD contained twelve tracks including the original music composed for the film by David Newman....
(2000) - Gideon's CrossingGideon's CrossingGideon's Crossing is a US medical drama starring Andre Braugher. The series was loosely based on the experience of real-life physician Jerome Groopman and his book The Measure of Our Days. It premiered on October 10, 2000, and ran for one season, with its last episode airing on April 9, 2001, with...
(2000) - 10,000 Black Men Named George (2002) (as André Braugher)
- Hack (American TV series) (2002)
- Soldier's GirlSoldier's GirlSoldier's Girl is a 2003 drama film produced by Showtime. It is based on a true story: the relationship between Barry Winchell and Calpernia Addams and the events that led up to Barry's murder by fellow soldiers. It was written by Ron Nyswaner and directed by Frank R...
(2003) - 'Salem's Lot (2004)
- Thief (TV series)Thief (TV series)Thief is an FX television mini-series which debuted on March 28, 2006 .Andre Braugher stars as Nick Atwater, the leader of a robbery crew balancing his personal life with the planning of a major heist...
(2006) - PoseidonPoseidon (film)Poseidon is a 2006 disaster film directed by Wolfgang Petersen, the third film adaptation of the novel The Poseidon Adventure written by Paul Gallico, and a loose remake of the 1972 film of the same name. It stars Kurt Russell, Josh Lucas and Richard Dreyfuss. It was directed by Wolfgang Petersen...
(2006) - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver SurferFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver SurferFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is a 2007 American superhero film, and the sequel to the 2005 film Fantastic Four. Both films are based on the Fantastic Four comic book and were directed by Tim Story...
(2007) - Muhammad: Legacy of a ProphetMuhammad: Legacy of a ProphetMuhammad: Legacy of the Prophet is a PBS documentary film about the life of Islamic prophet Muhammad based on historical records and on the stories of living American Muslims who call Muhammad the Messenger of God...
(2007) - The MistThe Mist (film)The Mist is a 2007 American science-fiction horror film based on the 1980 novella of the same name by Stephen King. The film is written and directed by Frank Darabont, who had previously adapted Stephen King's works The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile...
(2007) - The Andromeda Strain (2008)
- PassengersPassengers (film)Passengers is 2008 thriller film starring Anne Hathaway and Patrick Wilson, and directed by Rodrigo García. It was released in the United States by TriStar Pictures on October 24, 2008.-Plot:...
(2008) - S.M.A.S.H. (2009)
- House, M.D.House (TV series)House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
(2009–2010) - Miami Medical (2010)
- Superman/Batman: ApocalypseSuperman/Batman: ApocalypseSuperman/Batman: Apocalypse is a 2010 direct-to-video animated film based on the Superman/Batman comic storyline "The Supergirl from Krypton" and is a sequel to Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. The art style is partly based on that of Michael Turner, who penciled the Superman/Batman comic book arc...
(2010) - Salt (2010)
- Men of a Certain AgeMen of a Certain AgeMen of a Certain Age is an American comedy-drama television series, which premiered on TNT on December 7, 2009. The hour-long program stars Ray Romano, Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula as three best friends in their late forties dealing with the realities of middle age. The show ran for two years,...
(2009–2011) - Law & Order: SVU (2011)
- The Baytown DiscoThe Baytown DiscoThe Baytown Disco is an upcoming comedy film.-Plot:Three brothers become targets of a hit after helping a young woman escape her abusive father.-Cast:*Paul Wesley as Anthony Reese, a federal agent.*Eva Longoria as Celeste Martin...
(2012)