This Is Us Star Sterling K. Brown Is Heading To Brooklyn Nine-Nine

this is us randall

Sterling K. Brown has become a household name thanks to his role as Randall on NBC's smash hit This Is Us. The Emmy-winning actor has proven that he's a powerhouse of drama in recent years. Now, he's moving to comedy for a brand new role on Fox's sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Brown will play a character that faces off against Andy Samberg as Jake, which should make for plenty of hilarity.

On Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Sterling K. Brown will guest star as a murder suspect who spends a night being interrogated by Andy Samberg as Detective Jake Peralta and Andre Braugher as Captain Raymond Holt. TVLine reports that the entire episode will revolve around the interrogation, which honestly makes a lot of sense. How could a show bring in Sterling K. Brown and not put him in the spotlight for as much screentime as possible?

Of course, we can't say at this point just how much Sterling K. Brown's character will be played for laughs. Although Brooklyn Nine-Nine has to be one of the most consistently hilarious sitcoms on television, it doesn't shy away from tackling very serious subjects from time to time, ranging from homophobia to racism to conditions in prison. The show does manage to infuse comedy into these subjects -- such as bringing in Tim Meadows to play Jake's amiable prison BFF who also happens to be a cannibal -- without holding back from addressing their real-life relevance. Given Brown's dramatic performances, it's entirely possible that Brooklyn Nine-Nine intends to deliver some seriousness in his episode along with the comedy.

No date has yet been announced for when exactly Sterling K. Brown will make his Brooklyn Nine-Nine debut, but it will obviously be in the second half of Season 5. Brooklyn Nine-Nine has not yet been renewed for Season 6 and its future is far from certain. We don't have to worry that Brown himself will be leaving the small screen any time soon. This Is Us is delivering the kind of ratings, writing, and acclaim that pretty much guarantees a long life in primetime.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine will return for the second half of Season 5 at some point in 2018, although no date has yet been set. You can find Sterling K. Brown back on TV sooner in the Season 2 midseason premiere on Tuesday, January 9 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC. This Is Us left off with the promise of a lot of drama between Randall and Kevin due to Kevin's DUI with Randall's daughter in the car, and an upcoming episode will finally answer the question of how exactly Jack died. It should definitely be worth tuning in to see Brown in action ahead of his episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

For more premiere dates in the coming weeks, take a look at our 2018 midseason TV guide. If streaming is more your style, check out our Netflix premiere schedule and take a listen to the latest episode of The Cord Cutter podcast all about what's streaming in 2018.

Laura Hurley
Senior Content Producer

Laura turned a lifelong love of television into a valid reason to write and think about TV on a daily basis. She's not a doctor, lawyer, or detective, but watches a lot of them in primetime. CinemaBlend's resident expert and interviewer for One Chicago, the galaxy far, far away, and a variety of other primetime television. Will not time travel and can cite multiple TV shows to explain why. She does, however, want to believe that she can sneak references to The X-Files into daily conversation (and author bios).