Brad William Henke, the NFL player turned TV star, has passed away at the age of 56.
As reported by the New York Post, news of Henke's death was confirmed in a statement released to the media on Thursday (December 1) by his manager, Matt DelPiano.
"Brad was an incredibly kind man of joyous energy," the statement read, per the outlet. "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."
The statement also disclosed that the Orange is the New Black actor died in his sleep, although no cause of death has been disclosed, per Deadline.
Born on April 10, 1966, in Columbus, Nebraska, Henke played college football at the University of Arizona, where he was a team captain and an All-Academic student journalist.
He was drafted by the New York Giants in 1989, went on to play on the defensive line for the Denver Broncos, and made an appearance against the San Francisco 49s in Super Bowl XXIV.
Unfortunately, the former athlete retired from the sport in 1994 due to ankle injuries and then moved to Los Angeles to pursue coaching - but found a new career in acting. His first major recurring role was on the 2000-02 WB Network comedy Nikki, as a lead opposite Sam Trammell.
Henke also starred in guest roles such as CSI, Crossing Jordan, and Judging Amy. One of his more well-known roles was in four episodes of Showtime's hit serial killer drama, Dexter, playing Tony Tucci, the murder suspect.
However, his most prominent TV role came in the fourth season of the acclaimed Netflix prison drama Orange is the New Black. Henke played Desi Piscatella, a gay correctional officer at the women's prison.
Henke's role as a gay man made him a sex symbol in the bear community - a sub-section of the gay community that loves a larger and hairier man.
The athlete-turned-actor embraced the recognition, telling Out magazine in 2016: "I mean, I feel honored. I feel awesome. It’s such a compliment. Who wouldn’t want people to find them attractive? Piscatella is kind of a bad character in some ways but the response that I’ve gotten is that they like the fact that he’s real."
The Netflix star also appeared in several movies during his career, 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.
According to IMDB, his last acting credit was the movie Black Party which was released on streaming services this year.
Our thoughts are with Henke's family, friends, and fans at this time.
