Brad William Henke, the former NFL player who became a household name following his role as Desi Piscatella in the series Orange is the New Black, died at the age of 56 on November 28, according to a statement by one of his representatives. However, an official cause of death has not yet been revealed. TMZ has cited sources close to his family to reveal that the actor died in his sleep.

Besides OITB, Henke has also acted in shows like Going to California, Justified, October Road, Dexter, and Nikki. 

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Henke, who was born in Columbus, Nebraska, played for the Denver Broncos in 1989 and for the Forth Worth Cavalry in 1994. He was a part of the Broncos’ Super Bowl XXIV defensive line when they played against the San Francisco 49ers. Broncos lost the match with a scoreline of 55-10. 

Injuries plagued his playing career, forcing him to hang up his cleats and focus on acting. Henke’s on-screen career began with commercials, after which he secured acting gigs in TV shows. Henke began with guest roles in shows like Arli$$, ER, and Nash Bridges.

He was a part of the Orange is The New Black cast that in 2016 won the  Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. He joined the series in its fourth season.

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Henke’s film credits consist of Sherrybaby, where he played the brother of Maggie Gyllenhall’s character. He featured alongside Brad Pitt in the film Fury, and starred with Academy Award-winner Sam Rockwell in the film Choke.

TMZ spoke to his 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.”