Andre Braugher, the Emmy-winning actor best known for his roles on the series Homicide: Life on The Street and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, has died at age 61.

Braugher’s publicist Jennifer Allen confirmed his death after a brief illness to the trade publication Variety on Wednesday (AEDT).

The Chicago-born actor had his breakthrough role in 1989’s Glory, starring alongside Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington, who won an Oscar for the film about an all-black army regiment during the the US Civil War.

Despite the part, he told the Associated Press in 2019 that he struggled to find work in a Hollywood where roles for African American actors were “few and far between. Period”.

But he went on establish himself with the role of Detective Frank Pembleton. He played Pembleton for seven seasons in Homicide: Life on the Street, a gritty police drama on NBC based on a book by David Simon, who would go on to create The Wire.

Years later Braugher played a very different kind of cop on a very different kind of show, shifting to comedy as Captain Raymond Holt on the Andy Samberg-starring Fox series Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Tributes came from his Brooklyn Nine-Nine co-starts on Wednesday.

“Can’t believe you’re gone so soon,” Terry Crews, who played Terry Jeffords in the comedy, wrote on Instagram.

“I’m honoured to have known you, laughed with you, worked with you and shared 8 glorious years watching your irreplaceable talent. This hurts. You left us too soon. You taught me so much. I will be forever grateful for the experience of knowing you. Thank you for your wisdom, your advice, your kindness and your friendship. Deepest condolences to your wife and family in this difficult time. You showed me what a life well lived looks like.”

Another co-star, Marc Evan Jackson, tweeted: “O Captain. My Captain.”

Deadline, which first reported Braugher’s death said that while he would be remembered by many for his comedy roles, his “ferocious portrayal” of Pembleton in Homicide was “as good as it got”.

“Put him in the box, sweating out and outsmarting crime suspects in the interrogation room, and you were looking at a weekly dose of tour de force acting, as good as it got on television during that period of time,” it wrote.

Braugher won two career Emmys from 11 nominations, receiving one in 1998 for his role in Homicide and again in 2006 for his lead role in the mini-series Thief.

He also had a role in The Good Fight and was lined up for Netflix’s Residence as his next project.

Braugher was married for more than 30 years to his Homicide co-star Ami Brabson. They had three sons, Michael, Isaiah and John Wesley.

– with AAP