Actor Brad William Henke, 56, of “Orange Is The New Black,” “Justified,” and “Dexter,” passed away. Let’s see what happened to him and William Henke cause of death in detail below.
What happened to Brad William Henke?
Brad William Henke, a former NFL player, and actor passed away early this week at the age of 56, according to several sources Brad William Henke died unexpectedly on November 28 Thursday night.
Henke, best known for his part in “Orange Is the New Black,” passed away on Tuesday, a representative told Variety, but the cause of death was not disclosed. According to family members, Henke passed away while sleeping.
Henke graduated from the University of Arizona, where he played defensive line, and joined the New York Giants in 1989, according to his IMDB biography. Before becoming a successful actor, Henke’s career brought him to the NFL. After sustaining numerous injuries, he went on to play in Super Bowl XXIV with the Denver Broncos before retiring in 1994.
William Henke cause of death
At the age of 56, Brad William Henke, a former NFL player, and seasoned actor, unexpectedly passed away in his sleep. No other details on William Henke cause of death have been disclosed yet. He was best known for playing the cruel prison guard Desi Piscatella in Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black fourth “‘s and fifth seasons. “MEP on Movies” offers the Henke family its sincere condolences during this terrible moment.
In fact, on August 13, he posted his final Instagram picture, which was of him doing “jiujitsu in my garage.” He uploaded a video from a hospital bed in May 2021, months previously, in which he described a terrifying health concern.
“Hey everyone. How are you? I recently overcame a 90% blockage in my artery. I might have had a heart attack at any time, but I had it treated,” he continued before pleading with the crowd to “take care of yourselves.”
Brad was best known for his roles on Justified and Dexter as well as his appearances on Netflix’s OITNB. Henke leaves behind his mother Tammy, sister Annette, wife Sonja, stepson Aaden, stepson Leasa, and granddaughter Amirah, as well as thousands of friends, fellow performers, and pupils. Bill, his father, who he honored with his professional name, preceded him in death.
View this post on Instagram
He disclosed a troubling health condition back in May 2021, but it’s not known if that contributed to his passing.
Credit: Brad William Henke on Instagram
Who is Brad William Henke?
Brad William Henke, an American actor, and former National Football League and Arena Football League player, died on November 29, 2022. He was born on April 10, 1966.
He earned the 2016 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for his portrayal of prison guard Desi Piscatella on Orange Is the New Black.
In Nebraska’s Columbus, Henke was born. He was a defensive lineman for football and a student at the University of Arizona.
Career (NFL playing career)
In the 1989 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected Henke, but he was released during training camp.
The Denver Broncos signed him, and he competed in Super Bowl XXIV against the San Francisco 49ers.
He had to have six ankle surgeries as a result of persistent ailments, forcing him to give up playing professional football in 1994.
Acting career
In 1994, Henke started performing in advertisements. He made appearances in the films Fury, World Trade Center, Choke, Sherrybaby, Must Love Dogs, Around June, October Road, and Around June.
Arliss, ER, Dexter, Lost, Justified, The Office, Orange Is the New Black, Sneaky Pete, and MacGyver are just a few of the television series he has appeared in (2016).
Henke’s breakthrough performance was as Desi Piscatella, a gay prison officer at Litchfield Federal Penitentiary, in Orange, Is the New Black.
The fourth season saw his arrival on OITNB. He was a member of the group that garnered the 2016 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series.
Private life
From 2001 to 2008, Henke was wed to actress Katelin Chesna. Later, he wed Sonja. He brought up his stepdaughter Leasa and stepson Aaden together. Amirah was the name of Henke’s grandchild as well.
Net Worth of Brad William Henke in 2022
Brad William Henke’s estimated net worth as of 2022 is between $1 million and $5 million approx (According to wiki pro). He used his career to build a multimillion-dollar business.
American actor Brad William Henke, who was born on April 10, 1966, is well-known. Brad William Henke’s career has brought in a respectable sum of money.
The Actual Cause of Brad William Henke’s Football Career Retirement
The shift in Brad William Henke’s life occurred 27 years ago. The former professional football player was initially selected by the New York Giants in 1989. He later switched teams to the Denver Broncos, where he played against the San Francisco 49ers in the 1990 Super Bowl before losing to them.
Henke’s Surgery
Sadly, Henke underwent numerous surgery on his left ankle over the next two years and retired from football in 1992. Henke tells Looper in an exclusive interview, “I seriously damaged my ankle in college, and there hasn’t been a day that it hasn’t hurt me.
Fortunately, Henke’s participation in the game did not result in any more severe injuries, such as brain damage. After trying out a few other positions, such as jewelry salesperson, substitute teacher, and college assistant football coach, Henke learned in 1994 from another former professional athlete that actors were required to play football players in commercials.
He remembers, “I booked the first commercial I ever went out for. “It was for eateries run by Hungry Hunter. This project took me half a day to book and shoot.
Oh, that’s simple, I thought. But as I entered, I noticed the older man I had seen at the callback, so I suppose they had hired both of us in case I failed miserably. I was so clueless.”
Movie Roles
Henke was aware that he was on to something, though. Henke began auditioning for movie roles after landing several commercial bookings. He started looking for work right away, which convinced him that his potential new career was on the right track.
Henke tells us, “I got booked for movies in my first three auditions.” I had a little part in the baseball movie The Fan starring Wesley Snipes and Benicio del Toro, and I also portrayed Joan Cusack’s lover in the Ellen DeGeneres film Mr. Wrong. Space Jam was another film in which I appeared as the catcher when Michael Jordan was at bat. He continues, “Since those were my first three auditions, I saw it as a sign from the universe that this is what I should be doing.
Henke has had a consistent career in both film and television since that initial trio. Among his film credits are World Trade Center, North Country, Pacific Rim, Draft Day, Fury, Split, and Bright. He has also appeared in several TV shows, including Dexter, Law & Order, Lost, Justified, The Office, and Longmire in guest and recurring roles.
When Henke joined the Orange Is the New Black ensemble in 2016 as the sadistic, tortured, and openly gay prison guard Desi Piscatella, one of the show’s key villains in its fourth and fifth seasons, Henke’s career experienced a significant boost. Following that, he has cast in the limited series adaption of Stephen King’s The Stand on CBS All Access as Tom Cullen.
Henke said to The Tucson Citizen in 1998, barely four years after making the life-altering choice, “I kind of regret not starting acting sooner. “However, I believe that the experiences I had in life before discovering my vocation have been really beneficial. My career is being built solely on my own merits and not because of anything I performed on the football field.”
Tributes and condolences to William Henke
Social media was swamped with condolences after learning of William Henke’s passing.
Ashton Morris tweeted,
R.I.P. to Brad William Henke. From the Gridiron to our television screens. Appreciate you
Scott Marks tweeted,
Alav ha shalom, Brad William Henke. Start with “Choke” and “Short Term 12” and work your way down. A talented man and, if the 30 minutes I spent talking with him in 2008 were any indication, a humble and very funny guy. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.
Damn this one hurts too. RIP Brad William Henke, loved your furry gay bear vibes and acting chops 💐 https://t.co/PxKlTwFaGp
— Emil Sayad (@gaymerbear84) December 2, 2022
machine gun kelly Reichardt tweeted,
Terribly sad to lose Brad William Henke, a great character actor. Few actors I can think of who could make his subplot in Me and You and Everyone We Know fly.
Patriot tweeted,
And YET ANOTHER ONE. Instead of SIDS, and sudden infant deaths, since these are fairly young adults with w/no known health problems maybe we can call it SUDDEN VAX DEATH? SVDS. Keep ignoring that elephant in the room, jabbers! Let us know how that works out for u.
Queen city news tweeted,
REST IN PEACE | Former NFL player and actor Brad William Henke died earlier this week at the age of 56, multiple outlets reported Thursday evening.
Brad William Henke dead at 56: Former NFL player turned actor ‘passed away in his sleep’ https://t.co/MPk2T0GWbY
— Proxima 24 (@Proximaa24) December 2, 2022
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Lavanya (Senior Editor) is a full-time content writer with almost 5 years of experience and a part-time teacher. She joined Medico Topics on the Breaking News trainee scheme in 2022 and now works on MedicoTopics.com. As a lifelong learner, She is constantly curious about learning new things and passionate about sharing knowledge with people through her writing and teaching.
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