Brian William Henke, “Orange Is the New Black” Actor and Former NFL Player, Has Died

The cause of death was not disclosed.

Credit: Getty Images
Credit: Getty Images

Brad William Henke, a former NFL player and actor, died Tuesday at 56, according to CNN and Variety. The cause of death was not disclosed.

Henke was best known for his role as Desi Piscatella, a corrections officer at Litchfield Federal Penitentiary on the hit Netflix series “Orange Is the New Black.”

Henke was drafted into the NFL by the New York Giants in 1989 and played in the Super Bowl in 1990 with the Denver Broncos against the San Francisco 49ers. Due to repeat injuries, he retired from football in 1994.

He found success in acting, with roles in “Justified,” “Lost,” “October Road,” “Nikki,” and “Dexter.” For his role in “Orange is the New Black,” he shared a 2017 SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.