The Residence dedication: Who was Andre Braugher and why was the Netflix drama dedicated to him?

The Residence ended with a special dedication to Andre Braugher and some people might be wondering who he was.

With a unique comedic edge and Agatha Christie-esque twists, The Residence is a mystery drama that has quickly found its way on to many people’s must-watch lists since it landed on Netflix on 20th March. Starring Orange Is The New Black’s Uzo Aduba as quirky detective Cordelia Cupp, it sees her arrive to put her skills to the test solving a murder that took place in the White House during a high-profile State Dinner.

The cosy crime feel is something fans of Moonflower Murders would love and there are plenty of intriguing questions raised along the way. However, after reaching the final episode many people might have been left wondering about another, poignant detail as a dedication to Andre Braugher appears ahead of the credits.

Who was Andre Braugher and why was The Residence dedicated to him?

Episode 8 of The Residence, grippingly entitled The Mystery of the Yellow Room, is the finale of the drama and ends with a moving dedication reading simply, "In Memory of Andre Braugher" before the credits roll. He was an American actor who was perhaps best-known for his roles as stern but iconic Captain Raymond Holt in hit sitcom Brooklyn 99 and as Detective Frank Pembleton in police drama series Homicide: Life on the Street.

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He also acted in plenty of Shakespeare productions, as well as films including City of Angels, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and She Said. His remarkable career spanned decades and his death in 2023 was met with outpourings of sadness and heartfelt statements from so many people who had known and worked with him. Andre passed away on 11th December at the age of 61 after being diagnosed with lung cancer a few months earlier, as per the BBC.

The Residence dedication at the end of episode 8 pays tribute to Andre’s involvement in the project, as he had been cast and had already filmed some scenes as White House Chief Usher A.B. Wynter. The part was re-cast following Andre’s passing and Giancarlo Esposito, who some might recognise from fellow Netflix drama, The Gentleman, took on the role of A.B.

Speaking to Deadline, The Residence’s creator Paul William Davies explained that he deliberately chose to have the dedication to Andre Braugher appear in the finale rather than earlier on in the series. His reasoning couldn’t be more poignant as he reflected upon how "important" this was.

"There might have been a natural inclination to do that after the first episode, but for me, it was important to do that at the end of the whole series, to say, you were part of all this, and we have not forgotten you," he shared.

Re-casting a character in these circumstances was incredibly difficult and Giancarlo Esposito had previously worked with Andre on Homicide: Life on the Street. They were long-time friends and Paul credits Giancarlo for his "brilliance" coming into the project after a decision "born out of total devastation".

The creator told Variety, "I think it’s a testimony to the brilliance of those two actors that it’s almost like a play, in the sense that different people come in and play the same character, and they play it in their own brilliant, distinctive way - and that’s what they did. So I didn’t need to write to either one of them. They’re just incredible actors."

"I mean, obviously, [it was] a very unfortunate circumstance - tragic, devastating for all of us. So it’s not like a play in that sense at all where you just have a different actor coming in. This was born out of a total devastation to all of us on a very personal level, and their performances are very distinctively their own," he added.

Paul reflected that it was also "challenging" in a technical way because they had shot some things with Andre Braugher and so had to "reshoot certain things".

"We had to figure out other things that were challenging, but that was the least of the challenge. The challenge was emotional for all of us, because he was such a core part of this family, and we all loved him and he loved the show," he said. "We were lucky enough to have the grace and brilliance of Giancarlo to come in and handle in a way that I think made it easier for all of us."