WASHINGTON — Emmy-winning actor Andre Braugher, who died earlier this week at age 61, had been diagnosed with lung cancer a few months prior to his death, his publicist Jennifer Allen told CNN on Thursday.

The news was first reported by the New York Times.

Allen stated at the time Braugher’s death was announced on Monday that he had suffered a “brief illness” and specified on Thursday it was lung cancer.

Known for his Emmy-winning role on “Homicide: Life on the Street” and for his comedic chops in NBC’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” Braugher was a beloved actor known to many.

Following his stunning debut as a soldier in the 1989 war-era film “Glory,” Braugher amassed dozens of film and TV credits throughout his career.

Braugher earned a second Emmy in 2006 for the FX miniseries “Thief,” amassing 11 nominations overall.

He later spent three seasons opposite Ray Romano on, “Men of a Certain Age,” before returning as a policeman Capt. Ray Holt, in the Andy Samberg comedy series “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” which ran for eight seasons. Braugher received Emmy nominations for both shows.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States. For both men and women, more people in the US die from lung cancer compared to any other type of cancer.

Braugher is survived by his wife, actor Ami Brabson, who he married in 1991. — CNN