At the age of 61, renowned, award-winning actor Andre Braugher passed away on Monday, December 11, 2023, CNN has confirmed. The star’s publicist, Jennifer Allen, stated that Braugher died following a “brief illness.” On December 14, his rep confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the cause was lung cancer.
With a decades-long career, Braugher’s versatile work as an actor spoke for itself across genres. From spending eight seasons on Fox’s hit comedy series “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” to his Emmy award-winning performance as detective Frank Pembleton in NBC’s drama series “Homicide: Life on the Street,” fans and co-workers alike have taken to social media to express their heartfelt condolences. “We are saddened to hear of Andre Braugher’s passing,” representatives from SAG-AFTRA posted on Instagram. “[H]e was a powerful and dynamic performer in drama and comedy. He will be deeply missed.”
In addition to providing audiences with entertainment, the actor has also been celebrated for raising public awareness about various health conditions through his performances over the years. The Baltimore Sun reported in 1998 that Braugher had been recognized by the Maryland Heart Association for his honest portrayal of Frank Pembleton as a stroke survivor. Deadline reports that the actor also spent two seasons on TNT’s “Men of a Certain Age,” portraying a father living with diabetes and anxiety.
Braugher was reported to be a former smoker
While more details are not yet available about Braugher’s medical history, it was revealed in a 2014 The New York Times Magazine profile that he was a former smoker having “stopped drinking alcohol and smoking years ago” at the time of the interview.
According to information from Johns Hopkins Medicine, former smokers have a lower risk of lung cancer than smokers; however, their risk of developing the disease is still higher than if they had never smoked. They advise that if you were a heavy smoker — especially if you smoked for a long time or began at a young age — you should obtain a lung cancer screening every year for a minimum of 15 years after quitting.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that it is never too late to stop smoking. It can reduce your risk for cancer, lung disease, heart disease, and other illnesses caused by smoking. Their website provides a wide variety of smoking cessation resources.
