All About Andre Braugher's Wife and Kids

Hollywood is mourning the loss of Andre Braugher following his death at age 61. 

The actor, who starred on acclaimed crime series such as Homicide: Life on the Street and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, died on Dec. 11 after a recent illness, his representative confirmed to PEOPLE.

While Braugher is forever known for his iconic TV roles, it’s clear that family was his main priority. 

Braugher was married to actress Ami Brabson and together they had three children, John Wesley Braugher, Michael Braugher and Isaiah Braugher. Though his sons weren’t in the spotlight as much as Braugher, the actor spoke fondly of his family in interviews. 

Speaking with Variety in 2020, Braugher talked about how he always tried to put his wife and kids first amid his busy career. “I’ve got three boys, and I want them to know me as someone other than the guy who takes them to the circus every once in a while,” he told the publication. “I wanted to be there through the course of their life because I know how important fathers are.”

Here’s everything to know about Braugher’s wife and children. 

He and Ami Brabson costarred on Homicide: Life on the Street together 

Like Braugher, Brabson is in the entertainment industry, working as an actor, singer and producer, per her website. Over the years, she has appeared on a number of critically acclaimed series, including Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order, among many others. 

Braugher and Brabson were actually an onscreen couple on Homicide: Life on the Street, as Brabson played Mary Pembleton, wife to Braugher's Detective Frank Pembleton. 

He and Ami Brabson had been married for more than three decades 

The couple tied the knot in 1991 and were together for more than three decades before Braugher’s death. Over the course of their relationship, the two made a number of appearances together, including the 1996 Emmy Awards, where Braugher was nominated for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for his role in Homicide: Life on the Street, and the 2014 Emmy Awards, where he was nominated for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for his role in Brooklyn Nine-Nine. 

Their last red carpet together was in November 2022 as they attended a screening of The Good Fight series finale. 

He and Ami Brabson have three children

Braugher and Brabson were proud parents of three sons, John Wesley Braugher, Michael Braugher and Isaiah Braugher. Though they stayed predominantly out of the spotlight, the trio clearly looked up to their father as Variety noted in a previous profile that two of Braugher’s children were “aiming to enter acting as well.”

His son Michael is an actor, too

Braugher and Brabson’s son, Michael, followed in his father’s footsteps as he attended Braugher’s alma mater Juilliard School before embarking on an acting career. In addition to starring in Broadway’s To Kill a Mockingbird, he also appeared in a few episodes of The Gilded Age, per his IMDb page. 

He said his wife knew him better than anyone else

During an interview with Variety, Braugher spoke highly of his wife as he talked about their marriage and family life. “We’re like-minded; we grew up in similar neighborhoods; we share the same values,” he told the publication of Brabson.

He added, “She knows me like the back of her hand, and I’m grateful for that.”

He always prioritized spending time with his family 

Amid his busy acting career, Braugher told Variety he chose to make his family a priority early on. As his hit series Brooklyn Nine-Nine filmed in Los Angeles, he told the publication he would fly home to New York every weekend to be with his sons. 

“I made a choice along the way that Ami and those boys were too important to not spend quantity time with,” he told the publication. He also reflected on how his decision to stay home with his family might have limited some acting opportunities — but he didn’t regret it one bit. 

“It’s been an interesting career, but I think it could have been larger,” he said. “I think it could have spanned more disciplines: directing, producing, all these other different things. But it would have been at the expense of my own life.”

Of being a stable force to his children, he added, “I’ve got three boys, and I want them to know me as someone other than the guy who takes them to the circus every once in a while. I wanted to be there through the course of their life because I know how important fathers are.”

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