Brad William Henke has passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 56.
The former NFL player turned actor reportedly died in his sleep on Thursday, November 28, whereas the cause of his death remains to be confirmed.
Confirming the unfortunate passing to TMZ was the actor’s manager, Matt DelPiano, who 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.”
Henke started his football career in college when he played at the University of Arizona. He was later drafted by the New York Giants and made it into the ranks of the Denver Broncos.
In 1994, Henke retired from football to pursue his career in acting.
In the decades that followed, he added more than one hundred acting credits to his name and appeared in shows such as ER, Silk Stockings, Chicago Hope, and Nash Bridges.
He later secured a recurring role in the series Nikki and went on to appear in Going to California show in 2001.
On top of his roles in shows such as Crossing Jordan, Dexter, CSI, and Judging Amy, the aspiring actor also played in dozens of movies including Must Love Dogs, Me and You and Everyone We Know, North Country, The Assassination of Richard Nixon, The Zodiac, Hollywoodland, World Trade Center, and more.
More recently, Henke appeared as gay corrections officer Desi Piscatella in 26 episodes of the TV series Orange Is the New Black.
Our thoughts are with Brad’s family and friends during these challenging times.
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