‘The Residence’ Pays Tribute To Andre Braugher

Andre Braugher was set to star in Netflix’s homicide thriller comedy The Residence earlier than he died.

The Murder: Life on the Avenue star was forged within the Uzo Adubda-fronted sequence in February 2023 however died in December 2023. Whereas he had filmed plenty of episodes of the sequence, which comes from Shonda Rhimes’ Shondaland, he was not capable of full manufacturing earlier than he handed away from lung most cancers.

He was set to play White Home Chief Usher A.B Wynter, who’s wrapped up in a thriller in The White Home that should be solved by Abuda’s detective Cordelia Cupp.

The present has paid tribute to Braugher with a card memorializing him on the finish of the eight-part season.

Susan Kelechi Watson, who performs Jasmine Haney, a White Home assistant usher, and creator Paul William Davies, have additionally paid tribute to the late star.

“It was a troublesome factor that occurred to us, to the world, to Andre’s household; powerful is an understatement. One of many issues that drew me to this was the truth that Andre Braugher was going to do it. Sincere to God, I believe he isn’t solely good as a dramatic actor however his comedy, it’s actually fairly genius; among the stuff that he’s capable of do comedically that appeared to simply come naturally to him,” Kelechi Watson instructed Deadline.

“It was such an enormous second discovering out we had been going to work collectively. I bear in mind after I went on set for the primary time, the primary particular person I ran into was Andre Braugher in all his magnificent stature. And what an ideal particular person he was off digital camera as effectively, humorous, charismatic household man, so good,” she added.

Davies instructed Deadline, “It was devastating, personally to me, and to so many different folks on the present, a few of whom had labored with him on different initiatives and knew him rather well, and a few individuals who obtained to know him like I did via this, however grew to become fairly near him. He was a stunning, very grounded, very first rate and great human being, and, after all, an unimaginable actor.

Giancarlo Esposito was recast within the function, which is vital to the story.

“It was brutal and it was actually exhausting for thus many people,” added Davies. “We had been fortunate sufficient that Giancarlo, who additionally knew Andre, was near him and had the deepest respect for him, was capable of are available in and try this function, and do it in his personal means, but in addition honoring Andre. That’s a really tough task, simply on so many ranges and he dealt with it with extraordinary grace and navigated that in a means that comforted us. It was exhausting.”

Kelechi Watson added that she was “very grateful” that the present was capable of proceed following his demise. “How will we deal with this? How will we go ahead? Is there a approach to make what he has filmed work or is there a approach to transition into a brand new character. In the end, the choice was to should recast. When you’ll be able to have someone like Giancarlo, who’s a rare actor in his personal proper but in addition provides honor to Andre as effectively, you may have someone who steps in who additionally cared about him and understands what the legacy of the function he was taking up was, that was actually a blessing,” she stated.

There’s a speech within the last episode of the season, given by Aduba’s birder Metropolitan Police Division marketing consultant Cordelia Cupp, that nearly seems like a tribute to Braugher.

Actually, Davies wrote that speech after Braugher’s demise. “It had which means to me that means,” he stated.

“Within the final episode, it felt virtually like a eulogy to Andre when Uzo speaks about A.B. Wynter. I do not forget that day, it was so particular to listen to it out loud. It was the primary time all of us obtained to be within the house and form of mourn with each other over Andre on this and the particular life that he lived,” stated Kelechi Watson.

By way of the In Reminiscence card on the finish of the present, Davies stated, “There may need been a pure inclination to do this after the primary episode, however for me, it was essential to do this on the finish of the entire sequence, to say, you had been a part of all this, and we’ve got not forgotten you.”

Kelechi Watson added, “This present, we’ve been via so much. There’s plenty of pleasure and plenty of laughter and plenty of enjoyable. However we went via some powerful issues, popping out of Covid, [going] via the author’s strike, after which pricey Andre transitioned however within the midst of all that, we had been capable of finding solace on this actually enjoyable script that all of us actually love and luxuriate in, and we put much more excellence into it for that cause.”