Brad William Henke, a former pro football player who later moved on to a prolific acting profession, has died. He was 56.
His manager, Matt DelPiano, confirmed to The Post that Henke died in his sleep on Nov. 29, but didn’t give a reason behind death.
“Brad was an incredibly kind man of joyous energy. A really talented actor, he loved being an element of this community … and we loved him back. Our thoughts are along with his wife and family,” DelPiano said in an announcement.
Henke’s most famous role got here when he portrayed gay corrections officer Desi Piscatella within the Netflix hit “Orange Is the Recent Black.” That role gained made him status as a sex symbol within the bear community — a sub-section of the gay community that loves a bigger and hairier man.
Henke embraced the popularity, telling Out in 2016: “I mean, I feel honored. I feel awesome. It’s such a compliment. Who wouldn’t want people to seek out them attractive? Piscatella is sort of a foul character in some ways however the response that I’ve gotten is that they just like the incontrovertible fact that he’s real.”
Henke was born in Columbus, Nebraska, and raised in Littleton, Colorado. Henke played college football on the University of Arizona and was drafted by the Recent York Giants in 1989 before happening to play on the line of defense for the Denver Broncos, including at 1990’s Super Bowl XXIV versus that yr’s winner, the San Francisco 49ers.
He retired from the league in 1994 as a result of ankle injuries and moved to Los Angeles to pursue coaching — but found a recent profession in acting.
That journey began when his pro football buddy alerted him to a industrial casting on the lookout for actors to portray football players.
“I booked the primary industrial I ever went out for,” he told Looper in 2021. “It was for Hungry Hunter restaurants. I booked this thing and I shot it and it took half a day. I believed, ‘Oh, that’s easy.’ But after I was walking in, I saw this older man that I had seen on the callback, so I suppose that they had hired us each in case I crashed and burned. I used to be so oblivious.”
“I sort of regret not starting acting sooner,” Henke told The Tucson Citizen back in 1998. “But I believe my life experiences before I discovered my calling have really helped me. I’m constructing my profession by myself, by myself merits, not for what I did on the football field.”
His most up-to-date television role was in an April 2022 episode of “Law & Order: SVU,” during which he played a police captain. His prolific profession totaled greater than 100 acting credits, with roles in TV shows including “The Stand,” “MacGyver,” “ER,” “Chicago Hope,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “Nash Bridges,” “Arli$$,” “The Bridge,” “Justified,” “Shameless,” Sneaky Pete,” “CSI: Miami,” “Dexter,” “Crossing Jordan,” The Office” and “Judging Amy.”
Henke appeared in several movies during his profession, including “The Assassination of Richard Nixon,” “Me and You and Everyone We Know,” “Must Love Dogs,” “The Zodiac,” “North Country,” “World Trade Center” and “Hollywoodland.”
This yr’s movie “Black Party” was his last acting credit.
Brad William Henke, a former pro football player who later moved on to a prolific acting profession, has died. He was 56.
His manager, Matt DelPiano, confirmed to The Post that Henke died in his sleep on Nov. 29, but didn’t give a reason behind death.
“Brad was an incredibly kind man of joyous energy. A really talented actor, he loved being an element of this community … and we loved him back. Our thoughts are along with his wife and family,” DelPiano said in an announcement.
Henke’s most famous role got here when he portrayed gay corrections officer Desi Piscatella within the Netflix hit “Orange Is the Recent Black.” That role gained made him status as a sex symbol within the bear community — a sub-section of the gay community that loves a bigger and hairier man.
Henke embraced the popularity, telling Out in 2016: “I mean, I feel honored. I feel awesome. It’s such a compliment. Who wouldn’t want people to seek out them attractive? Piscatella is sort of a foul character in some ways however the response that I’ve gotten is that they just like the incontrovertible fact that he’s real.”
Henke was born in Columbus, Nebraska, and raised in Littleton, Colorado. Henke played college football on the University of Arizona and was drafted by the Recent York Giants in 1989 before happening to play on the line of defense for the Denver Broncos, including at 1990’s Super Bowl XXIV versus that yr’s winner, the San Francisco 49ers.
He retired from the league in 1994 as a result of ankle injuries and moved to Los Angeles to pursue coaching — but found a recent profession in acting.
That journey began when his pro football buddy alerted him to a industrial casting on the lookout for actors to portray football players.
“I booked the primary industrial I ever went out for,” he told Looper in 2021. “It was for Hungry Hunter restaurants. I booked this thing and I shot it and it took half a day. I believed, ‘Oh, that’s easy.’ But after I was walking in, I saw this older man that I had seen on the callback, so I suppose that they had hired us each in case I crashed and burned. I used to be so oblivious.”
“I sort of regret not starting acting sooner,” Henke told The Tucson Citizen back in 1998. “But I believe my life experiences before I discovered my calling have really helped me. I’m constructing my profession by myself, by myself merits, not for what I did on the football field.”
His most up-to-date television role was in an April 2022 episode of “Law & Order: SVU,” during which he played a police captain. His prolific profession totaled greater than 100 acting credits, with roles in TV shows including “The Stand,” “MacGyver,” “ER,” “Chicago Hope,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “Nash Bridges,” “Arli$$,” “The Bridge,” “Justified,” “Shameless,” Sneaky Pete,” “CSI: Miami,” “Dexter,” “Crossing Jordan,” The Office” and “Judging Amy.”
Henke appeared in several movies during his profession, including “The Assassination of Richard Nixon,” “Me and You and Everyone We Know,” “Must Love Dogs,” “The Zodiac,” “North Country,” “World Trade Center” and “Hollywoodland.”
This yr’s movie “Black Party” was his last acting credit.
