According to CNN Entertainment, actor and NFL player Brad William Henke unfortunately passed away this past Tuesday, November 29, 2022. He was only 56. Henke’s manager, Matt DelPiano, took to Instagram to share the tragic news and to offer his condolences to Henke’s family, “Brad Henke was an incredibly kind man of joyous energy. A very talented actor, he loved being a part of this community…and we loved him back. Our thoughts are with his wife and family.”
Henke is best known for his 2017 breakout role in the fourth season of the hit Netflix series Orange is the New Black as gay corrections officer Desi Piscatella, a militant and merciless prison guard who serves as the longest running primary antagonist in the show. Henke’s performance as Piscatella earned him a SAG award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series.
Henke was also known for his incredible athletic prowess. He was drafted into the National Football League by the New York Giants in 1989 at just 23 years-old before eventually being picked up by the Denver Broncos and playing in Superbowl XXIV against the San Francisco 49ers. Due to repeated injuries early in his career, Henke was forced to retire in 1994, prompting him to move to Los Angeles in the hopes of pursuing a career in acting. It was in L.A. where Henke would receive near over-night success after swiftly racking up dozens of appearances on television series like ER, Silk Stalkings, and Arli$$$.
Henke would also go on to land supporting roles in several major motion pictures such as Space Jam and Mr. Wrong. Over the course of his career, Henke appeared in more than forty films, including Bright, Fury, Me and You and Everyone We Know, and Choke.
Henke is survived by his wife Sonja, his mother Tammy, his sister Annette, his stepson Aaden, his stepdaughter Leasa, and his grandchild Amirah.