Andre Braugher's Costar Dirk Blocker Says He Was the 'Father Figure' ofB99Cast: 'Always There for People' (Exclusive)

Dirk Blocker (left) and Andre Braugher.Photo:Frazer Harrison/Getty, Bryan Bedder/Getty

Frazer Harrison/Getty, Bryan Bedder/Getty

When Dirk Blocker thinks about the time he spent shootingBrooklyn Nine-NinewithAndre Braugher, it’s always with fondness and immense respect for an actor who didn’t just portray a captain on the show but also made it a point to be a “father figure” to the cast, too.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Blocker, 66, recalls a meaningful moment during the sitcom’s first season when Fox released short introductory videos about his character, Hitchcock, and Scully (Joel McKinnon Miller).

“The day they were released, Joel and I were sitting in our little area, and the main cast was sitting in another area,” he explains, adding, “Andre walks into the room, and in a very loud voice — certainly loud enough for Joel and I to hear — which I think was his point, he said, ‘Have you seen the Hitchcock videos?’"

‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ stars Andre Braugher, Dirk Blocker and Anna Bogomazova.Jordin Althaus/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

Jordin Althaus/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

“Everybody looked at him like, ‘What?’” he continues. “And he said, ‘You’ve got to see. These are magnificent.’ … Everybody gathered around him on that side of the room and looked over his shoulder while he played the three videos of ours to the rest of the group.”

Braugher frequently broke out into laughter while viewing them — “he had a great laugh,” Blocker says — but Blocker and McKinnon Miller knew then he was “laughing for us.”

“He wanted us to know that he appreciates what we’re doing, that we’re fitting in, and we’re doing a good job — and he needed to let us know that,” he explains, adding, “He was just so generous with himself at any rate, but that was kind of who he was.”

Braugher, who played Capt. Raymond Holt onBrooklyn Nine-Ninefor eight years,diedon Monday after a recent illness at the age of 61. The actor earned11 Emmy nominationsduring his decades-long career, scoring an Emmy in 1998 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series forHomicide: Life on the Streetand a second win for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie in 2006 for the miniseriesThief.

‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ stars Joel McKinnon Miller, Dirk Blocker, Stephanie Beatriz, Terry Crews and Andre Braugher.Jordin Althaus/Fox/Universal Television/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Jordin Althaus/Fox/Universal Television/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Braugher and Blocker last appeared together onLate Night with Seth Meyershours afterBrooklyn Nine-Nine’sseries finale aired in September 2021. The two didn’t keep in touch afterwards, but Blocker always felt he had a connection with Braugher, hearing from a friend that the actor continued to share “wonderful stories” about their time together shooting the series.

“He was the captain, or the father figure, of the cast,” Blocker says, adding, “I’ll just remember how warm and kind and really how loving he was as a human being. It was just really special.”

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Braugher’s other credits includedGlorywith Denzel Washington,Kojakwith Telley Savalas, as well asCity of Angels,Salt,Law & Order,Salem’s Lot, and the upcoming Netflix seriesThe Residence. He also won Obie Awards for his performances in stage productions ofHenry VandThe Whipping Man.

source: people.com