Andre Braugher

Captain Raymond Holt in Brooklyn Nine-Nine speaks with an exactness that makes even a tiny departure from formality noticeable. Braugher’s gravitas provides a steady surface against which the rest of the precinct can bounce. Start with the early episodes and watch the contrast with Andy Samberg’s Jake Peralta. The pleasure is not that Holt lacks feeling, but that the performance controls when and how that feeling becomes visible, making a small response or unexpected enthusiasm land with unusual force.