Andy Samberg is missing his late Brooklyn Nine-Nine costar Andre Braugher.
The Lonely Island member and Saturday Night Live alum was asked about his offscreen friendship with the actor, who died of lung cancer at age 61 in 2023, during a new episode of Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast.
“What was that dynamic like behind the scenes [between you and Braugher]? Because he’s so good in the show, he’s so poised, he’s such a good actor — and also, to me, I never had the pleasure of meeting him, he seemed like he was just playful and fun,” Poehler said. To which Samberg replied, “He was, and just a good person.”
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Samberg and Braugher as Jake Peralta and Raymond Holt on ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’
In addition to being immensely talented and funny, Samberg noted that Braugher was also “so deeply moral and kind and pleasant and smart,” adding, “We all absolutely loved him. I miss him a lot.”
Samberg and Braugher starred opposite one another on all eight seasons of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which aired from 2013 until 2021. Samberg’s character, Det. Jake Peralta, in particular had a close, almost paternal relationship with Braugher’s stoic Capt. Raymond Holt throughout the series.
While their characters may have initially butted heads onscreen, Samberg recalled how he and Braugher just clicked immediately.
“It was one of those things where you’re just like, ‘Okay, this is kismet. I don’t know how to explain it,’” he said. “Because they — [creators] Mike [Schurr] and [Dan] Goor — cast him from like, a meeting. They just did like a Zoom or something with him.”
The comedian recalled meeting Braugher at a table read for the series and knowing straight away that they had found something special.
“He walked in and we had a very pleasant hello and then we started reading it, and as soon as we started reading it, like the first scene, which is he comes out and I’m goofing with him and being a dummy and he’s being stoic, it just…” Samberg explained. “You know how it is sometimes with creative stuff, where you’re like, ‘I don’t care how this came to be. It’s working and I’m so happy.’”
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In fact, they got along so well, that Samberg said they hardly ever had to discuss their own creative decisions for the show.
“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,” he said. “And like, 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. Like he should be in like, drama! He’s like the best.’”
Samberg continued, “But then he would do his Captain Holt stuff and it was the funniest thing on the show.”
Braugher was mourned by his fellow Brooklyn Nine-Nine costars online following his death, with Terry Crews, who played Terry Jeffords, thanking the actor in part for “your wisdom, your advice, your kindness and your friendship.” Melissa Fumero, who starred as Amy Santiago, also noted that she will never forget “the deep love and loyalty you had for your family.”
The show’s official Instagram account also honored the late actor, sharing a photo of him with the caption: “Always our Captain. We love you, Andre.”
Watch Samberg discuss his friendship with Braugher in the video above.
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