Andre Braugher

This death hit me harder than most celebrity deaths. I'm a big fan of the movie Glory, Braugher's first film, where he plays Thomas Searles, the freeman and friend of Matthew Broderick's Colonel Shaw. It's not a huge role, but Braugher makes a big impression with a nuanced, heartbreaking portrayal of a man giving up his relatively comfortable existence to fight for freedom. 

During the pandemic, I binge-watched the sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, then re-watched the entire series with Carol, and then again with Ben. B99 is Michael Schur's funniest show, and it's fantastic, filled with fun characters in a workplace comedy. Andre Braugher, playing the black, gay, stern, wonderful Brooklyn precinct captain, Raymond Holt, is an absolute joy in the show.

Here's one of my favorite cold-opens.

By all accounts Braugher was a smart, thoughtful, kind, and obviously talented person. I'm sad he's gone.