Andre Braugher And Andy Samberg Had A Sweet Off-Camera Friendship
Over time eight seasons of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," the relationship between the goofy Detective Jake Peralta, played by Andy Samberg, and straight-laced Captain Raymond Holt, played by Andre Braugher, evolved and developed into a father-son bond.
Their characters are opposites in a lot of ways. Similarly, Samberg and Braugher's acting journeys before "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" were quite different. Samberg's big Hollywood break came when he joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live." Braugher's notable roles were dramatic ones, like playing the cold and cunning Detective Frank Pembleton on "Homicide: Life on the Street" in the 1990s. However, despite their differing backgrounds, Samberg and Braugher's on-screen rapport playing characters that were also such opposites was one of the reasons the police procedural comedy did so well. We're happy that the relationship between the actors behind the scenes and in real life seems like it was equally as sweet and supportive.
It goes back to when they first started the show with Braugher giving Samberg a thoughtful, themed gift. The "Glory" actor gave Samberg a photograph of Elton John and Barry White as a representation of their characters in the ensemble comedy. In a move that shows how much the gift meant to him, Samberg kept it in his dressing room, according to The New York Times.
Andy Samberg's comedy skills inspired Andre Braugher
As Andre Braugher and Andy Samberg worked together on "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," their respect for each other's skills and talents was clear. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Samberg talked about how his job was made easier by working with Braugher. "It's easy to make lines funny when you're playing them to Andre," he said.
Samberg described his comedy style to Entertainment Weekly as coming from both annoying and entertaining his older sisters as a kid: "bouncing around in a circle like a little yipping dog and [...] thinking of different ways to say the same thing over and over again until they finally laugh." Doing that with Braugher, who played the stoic and unflappable Captain Raymond Holt, brought out another level in Samberg's comedy. But that wasn't the way that Braugher typically worked. Actor and comedian Ray Romano explained Braugher to The New York Times as "like Superman, and improv is his Kryptonite."
While some perhaps more insecure actors wouldn't be able to work well with someone whose acting style was so different, Braugher instead took his collaboration with Samberg as an opportunity. He explained what it was like working with Samberg during a red-carpet interview at the 2015 Emmys, which Samberg was hosting. "He's a real pleasure," Braugher said. "He's very smart. [...] He understands not only the art of comedy but the art of filming comedy. And I learn so much by watching him."
Andre Braugher's acting skills impressed Andy Samberg
Andre Braugher and Andy Samberg's different approaches to the same work caught the attention of Christopher Miller, who directed the "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" pilot. He posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, after news of Braugher's untimely death at age 61 broke. "The way he and Andy's opposite approaches to acting baffled & then slowly influenced each other was a magical dynamic that was the heart of the show," he wrote. Even though it would be inherently different than their characters' relationship, we like to think that their real-life friendship was just as magical and fun. Judging by the selfies of the two of them together on set, we're pretty sure we're right.
As much as Braugher said he got from working with Samberg, the "Hot Rod" actor had equally complimentary things to say about Braugher. "Andre is actually incredible because he has comedy timing [...] but he's also Julliard-trained," Samberg told Entertainment Weekly. "I mean, he's like for real. He could get an Oscar at any moment. All someone has to do is cast him." We love to see a mutual admiration society. While Samberg isn't on social media much and so hasn't posted a public tribute to Braugher, we're sure that he is grieving his friend and former castmate in the light of his unexpected death.