Brad William Henke died in his sleep on November 29, 2022, at the age of 56, but no cause of death was given. In an Instagram post dated May 15, 2021, he stated that he had a 90% blockage of his artery. In another post dated June 29, 2021, he stated that he had 2 stents of his heart, spleen, and half of his pancreas gone to remove a golf ball-sized tumor.
Henke was an American actor and former National Football League and Arena Football League player.
He was born in Columbus, Nebraska. He attended the University of Arizona and played football as a defensive lineman.
In his football career, Henke was drafted by the New York Giants in the 1989 NFL Draft but got cut during training camp. He was picked up by the Denver Broncos, and he played in Super Bowl XXIV against the San Francisco 49ers.
Henke began acting in 1994, starting with commercials. He appeared in October Road, Around June, The Amateurs, World Trade Center, In the Valley of Elah, Choke, Sherrybaby, Must Love Dogs, and Fury.
His television career includes roles in Arliss, ER, Dexter, Lost, Justified, The Office, Orange Is the New Black, Sneaky Pete, and MacGyver (2016).
Henke’s breakout role has been on Orange Is the New Black as Desi Piscatella, a gay corrections officer at Litchfield Federal Penitentiary.
He joined OITNB in the fourth season. He was part of the cast that won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2016.