‘Orange Is The New Black’ actor Brad William Henke dies aged 56

2 December, 2022

Brad William Henke

Brad William Henke, known for roles in Orange Is The New Black and Justified, has died aged 56.

The actor died in his sleep on Tuesday (November 29), as confirmed by his family (via Deadline). No cause of death was released.

In a statement provided to TMZ, his manager Matt DelPiano, said: “Brad 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.”

Before his acting career, Henke was an NFL player who was drafted by the New York Giants in 1989. After he was cut during training camp, he went onto play for the Denver Broncos and played against the San Francisco 49ers at the Super Bowl in 1990.

Orange Is The New Black
Brad William Henke as Desi Piscatella in ‘Orange Is The New Black’ CREDIT: Netflix

Henke pursued an acting career after injuries forced him to retire in 1994. He began acting in adverts, before landing guest spots in shows like ER, Chicago Hope, Nash Bridges and Arliss.

His first major role was in sitcom series Nikki, starring Nikki Cox, where he played the character Thor. This sparked further appearances in TV shows including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Judging Amy, and films The Assassination Of Richard Nixon, Pacific Rim and 2006’s World Trade Center.

Henke is perhaps best known for playing prison guard Desi Piscatella on Netflix series Orange Is The New Black in seasons four and five. His other notable roles include Bram on Lost, Coover Bennett in Justified, Tony Tucci in Dexter and Brendon on Sneaky Pete.

In a tribute on Twitter, Orange Is The New Black co-star Tamara Torres wrote: “Brad William Henke what a loss. He was a great guy. Rest in peace OITNB brother.”

Actor Bryan Greenberg wrote: “RIP Brad William Henke aka Owen Rowen from October Road. Your heart was too big for this life.”

He is survived by his mother Tammy, sister Annette, wife Sonja, stepson Aaden, stepdaughter Leasa and grandchild Amirah.

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