Actor Brad William Henke has passed away in his sleep at the tender age of fifty-six. The actor, who also had a career in the NFL, was best known for his appearances in the Netflix show Orange Is the New Black, Lost, and Justified. He died in his sleep while home with his family on November 28, 2022, according to a report published by dateline, and the cause of death was still unknown as of Thursday.
Brand Henke was well-liked and a popular person to appear on television. His fans are distraught that he has passed away at such a young age and will no longer be able to hold down positions on various television shows.
His manager Matt DelPiano confirmed the actor’s death and shared a brief statement about Henke’s sudden and unexpected passing.
“Brad was an incredibly kind man of joyous energy,” DelPiano told TMZ. “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.”
During his time on Orange Is the New Black, Henke played the role of a prison guard. And he appeared in the very scene where one of the show’s main characters, Poussey Washington, gets killed, which in turn is one of the biggest scenes in the entire show series.
In addition to his prolific work for television, Henke also appeared in several movies, including Pacific Rim and World Trade Center.
Henke played football prior to his acting career. He was drafted to the NFL team the New York Giants back in 1989 from his college ball days at the University of Arizona. However, Henke was not destined to spend too much time in the NFL. He suffered various ankle injuries that caused him to retire from the sport in 1994 when he officially hung up his helmet.
In addition to his time with the New York Giants, Henke also played for the Denver Broncos. He was also able to get on the field for Super Bowl XXIV, which was played against the San Francisco 49ers.
Brand Henke had more than one hundred acting credits to his name. He first broke into the television world with appearances in commercials and then transitioned to scripted TV. He earned spots in famous shows like ER, Nash Bridges, Arli$$, Chicago Hope, and Silk Stalkings. According to a report on his death published by TMZ, he also appeared in popular shows like CSI, Judging Amy, Crossing Jordan, and Dexter, which was a very popular show during its heyday. He was a murder suspect in Dexter during the 2006 season. He appeared in four episodes of the Showtime show.
In more recent work, Henke appeared on the CBS All Access show The Stand based on the Stephen King novel by the same name. Other reason roles include spots on Law and Order: SVU and the movies Run & Gun and Block Party.
Clearly, Henke was a prolific actor who made the most of his career in Hollywood. He will be missed.