Brad William Henke passed away at the age of 56. He was known for his performance in popular television shows like ‘Lost‘, and ‘Orange is the new Black‘ among other things. His death has sent a shockwave to his fans across the globe who are pouring in condolences.
Before starting out as an actor, William was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He had also acted in a number of films in his long career. Let’s find out in detail about his life, career, and the exact cause of his death.
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Who Was Brad William Henke?
Born on April 10, 1966, in Columbus, Nebraska, Henke attended the University of Arizona. He played football as a defensive lineman in his early days. Later, he was drafted in the 1989 NFL Draft by the New York Giants.
The Denver Broncos picked him up and Henke took part in Super Bowl XXIV against the San Francisco 49ers. Despite his enjoying sports, he suffered repeated injuries.
In 1994, he took retirement from professional football and started his acting career the same year. Henke started with commercials and ventured into television.
His acting credits include shows like ‘Lost‘, ‘Orange is the New Black’, ‘The Office‘, ‘ER’, ‘Justified’ and ‘Dexter‘ among others. The former athlete has also acted in several films such as ‘Split‘.
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How Did He Die?
The actor passed away at 56 on Tuesday in his sleep. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Henke’s agent Sheree Cohen did not provide any cause of death.
On Netflix’s popular comedy drama show ‘Orange Is the New Black’, Henke played the role of prison guard Desi Piscatella over seasons four and five which earned him recognition.
In 2016, for his performance, he was bestowed with the prestigious Screen Actors Guild Award for best cast in a comedy. With a towering personality of 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds in his prime, Henke had a strong screen presence.
In recent years, Henke acted in the 2020 miniseries ‘The Stand’ and in an episode of ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’, as well as the comedy film ‘Block Party.’
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