Brad William Henke, N.F.L. Player Who Turned to Acting, Dies at 56 - The New York Times

Television|Brad William Henke, N.F.L. Player Who Turned to Acting, Dies astatine 56

Brad William Henke, a erstwhile N.F.L. subordinate who aboriginal turned to acting and became known for his relation arsenic a situation defender connected “Orange Is the New Black,” died connected Tuesday. He was 56.

His decease was confirmed by his manager, Matt DelPiano, who said Mr. Henke died successful his slumber but did not specify the location. He besides did not mention a cause, but successful May 2021 Mr. Henke posted connected Instagram that helium had a 90 percent blockage successful an artery, and the adjacent period he said helium had received 2 stents successful his heart.

Mr. Henke played galore roles successful movie and tv crossed a 25-year career, but helium was astir apt champion known for his quality connected much than 2 twelve episodes of the Netflix bid “Orange Is the New Black” from 2016 to 2018. His character, Desi Piscatella, a cheery corrections serviceman astatine the penitentiary wherever the amusement was set, was an integral portion of the play successful its 4th and 5th seasons, and successful 2017 helium shared successful the cast’s Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding show by an ensemble successful a drama series.

Although “Orange” could beryllium considered Mr. Henke’s breakout role, it was acold from his first. His acting vocation began successful 1996 with the movie “Mr. Wrong,” which starred Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Pullman and Joan Cusack. Among the dozens of tv shows connected which helium was seen were “ER,” “Judging Amy,” “Dexter,” “October Road” and “Lost.” His movies included the archetypal “Space Jam.”

Mr. Henke was calved connected April 10, 1966, successful Columbus, Neb., and raised successful Littleton, Colo. He played shot for the University of Arizona successful the precocious 1980s. A 6-foot-3, 275-pound antiaircraft lineman, helium was drafted by the New York Giants successful 1989 arsenic but was cut, helium told The Tucson Citizen successful 1998, He went connected to play for the Denver Broncos and was connected the squad erstwhile it mislaid the 1990 Super Bowl to the San Francisco 49ers.

His shot vocation ended successful the aboriginal 1990s aft respective injuries, and helium held a fig of jobs, including adjunct shot manager astatine a assemblage assemblage successful California. An unexpected brushwood with Rod Martin, formerly of the Oakland Raiders, acceptable him connected a caller path.

“Rod mentioned determination was a request for actors to play shot players for commercials, truthful I tried retired for it and got 1 for Pizza Hut,” Mr. Henke told The Citizen. “While I was there, a feline invited maine to be an acting class. I went and it deed maine that this is what I wanted to do.”

The extent and types of roles Mr. Henke landed progressed with each credit. In a 2021 interrogation with CGMagazine, Mr. Henke said that astatine the commencement of his vocation helium was learning the concern and was taking jobs to gain money, but that things changed. “Lately, I’ve conscionable tried to bash it for the emotion of it,” helium said. “Just origin I emotion creating the characters — figuring retired however they talk, however they stand, each the carnal things and each the affectional things.”

Mr. Henke told the website Tell-Tale TV successful 2020 that his relation arsenic Tom Cullen connected the mini-series “The Stand,” the astir caller adaptation of Stephen King’s caller of the aforesaid title, which starred Whoopi Goldberg and Alexander Skarsgard, was challenging yet rewarding.

“It was the champion acquisition I’ve had successful acting truthful acold successful my full career,” helium said. “I haven’t had precise galore opportunities successful my vocation wherever I person been offered this occupation 3 months earlier it starts. So galore times, it’s conscionable close earlier it starts. So I had truthful overmuch much clip to enactment connected it and hole and conscionable deliberation astir it, imagination astir it.”

Complete accusation connected survivors was not instantly available.

Jesus Jiménez contributed reporting.