Andre Braugher
American actor
Born July 1, 1962 in Chicago, Illinois to working class parents. His father Floyd Braugher was a heavy equipment operator and his mother Sally Braugher was a postal worker. Andre, the youngest of 4 children, grew up in Chicago's tough West Side in the Fillmore District.
His parents noted his aptitude for reading at an early age and enrolled him in Catholic School. He graduated from Saint Ignatius College Prep. He enrolled at Stanford University as a pre-med student but changed his focus to earn a BA in Theatre Arts in 1984. He then attended the prestigious Julliard School in New York City where he earned his MFA degree in 1988.
His first professional work was at the Berkley Shakespeare Festival. His other stage work includes:
Braugher's first break into films was in 1989 when he appeared in 'Glory'. A listing of his film credits, though not an exhaustive one, are as follows:
Brougher has also achieved an impresive list of TV credits.. A non-exhaustive listing includes the following: .
- (1989-1990) Kojac (Made for TV movies as Telly Savalas' sidekick.)
- (1990) Somebody Has to Shoot the Picture
- (1990) Murder in Mississippi
- (1990) The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson
- (1992-1998) Homicide: Life on the Street
- (1993) Without Warning: Terror in the Towers
- (1993) Class of '61
- (1993) Simple Justice
- (1995) The Tuskeegee Airmen
- (1999) Passing Glory
- ( 1999) Love Songs, 'A Love Song For Dad' segment
- (2000) Homicide: The Movie
- (2000) Gideon's Crossing]
- (2002) 10,000 Black Men Named Goerge
- (2002) Hack
- (2003) Soldier's Girl
- (2004) Salem's Lot
- (2004) The Jury
- (2005) Thief
Braugher 's most memorable character to date has been his portrayal of Detective Frank Pembleton on "Homicide: Life on the Street'. Pembleton is extremely intelligent, judgemental and intense. He is angry and conflicted with humanity, with himself and his faith. He is a force of nature waiting to strike idealistic lightning upon an imperfect world. He is more intellectual than his fellow detectives, more controlled. Brougher's character has to deal with the battle he himself faces as he attempts to live with the results of a stroke, when he finds he is no longer capable of even controlling himself, his speech and body movements.. He portrays this with a depth and nuance seldom seen in dramatic TV. This portrayal led to Braugher's first Emmy Award in 1998.
Braugher has also worked as director.
- (1999) Love Songs, 'A Love Song For Dad' segment.
Braugher has also done narrative work in the following:
- .(2000) Scottsboro: An American Tragedy
- (2002) Ralph Ellison: An American Journey
- (2002) Standing in the Shadow of Motown
- (2002) West Point: The First 200 Years
- (2003) American Experience: The Murder of Emmitt Till
- (2003) Bloodlines: Technology Hits Home
Braughers work also includes an audiobook with Lainie Kazan. They were featured in James McBride's 'The Color of Water'.
Andre Braugher has been recognized for the quality of his work by receiving numerous awards. Some of these are as follows:
- Obie Award for 'Henry V', NYC Shakespeare Festival
- (1997) People Magazine's '50 Most Beautiful People'
- (1997 & 1998) Television Critics Association Award for individual achievement
- (1998) Emmy Award for 'Homicide: Life on the Street'
- (2000) Golden Globe Award for 'Gideon's Crossing'
- (2006) Emmy Award for 'Thief"
Braugher lists as his role models James Earl Jones and Sidney Poitier.
Andre Braugher was married in 1991 to actress Ami Brabson. They have 2 sons, their eldest Michael born in 1992, their second child Isaiah born in 1996. The family currently resides in South Orange, New Jersey.
sources:
1. andrebraugher.com
2. starpulse.com
3. wikipedia.org
4. tv.com
5. tvguide.com