Brad William Henke (April 10, 1966 – November 29, 2022) was an American actor and professional football player in the National Football League (NFL) and Arena Football League (AFL). He was best known for his role as Corrections Officer Desi Piscatella on Orange Is the New Black, for which he won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2016.[3]
Brad William Henke | |
|---|---|
 Publicity photo of Henke | |
| Born | April 10, 1966[1] Columbus, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Died | November 29, 2022 (aged 56) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active |
|
| Spouses | Katelin Chesna (m. 2001–2008)
|
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American football career | |
| No. 68 | |
| Position: | Defensive end |
| Personal information | |
| Height: | 6 ft 3[2] in (1.91 m) |
| Weight: | 275 lb (125 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Heritage (Littleton, Colorado) |
| College: | Arizona (1987–1988) |
| NFL draft: | 1989 / round: 4 / pick: 105 |
| Career history | |
| |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
| Stats at ArenaFan.com | |
Early life and education
editHenke was born in Columbus, Nebraska. He attended the University of Arizona and played football as a defensive lineman.
Career
editFootball career
edit| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Vertical jump | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+1⁄8 in (1.91 m) |
263 lb (119 kg) |
4.92 s | 1.69 s | 2.84 s | 4.31 s | 32.5 in (0.83 m) | ||||||
| All values from NFL Combine[4] | ||||||||||||
Henke was drafted by the New York Giants in the 1989 NFL draft but got cut during training camp.[5][6] He was picked up by the Denver Broncos, and he played in Super Bowl XXIV against the San Francisco 49ers. Repeated injuries, which required six ankle surgeries, led to his retirement from professional football in 1994.[7]
Acting
editHenke began acting in 1994, starting with commercials.[7] He appeared in October Road, Around June, The Amateurs, World Trade Center, In the Valley of Elah, Choke, Sherrybaby, Must Love Dogs and Fury.[7][8]
His television career includes roles in Arliss, ER, Dexter, Lost, Justified, The Office, Orange Is the New Black, Sneaky Pete, Grimm, Big Sky, and MacGyver (2016).[7][9]
Henke's breakout role was on Orange Is the New Black as Desi Piscatella, a gay corrections officer at Litchfield Federal Penitentiary. He joined OITNB in the fourth season.[8] He was part of the cast that won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for 2016.[10][11]
Personal life and death
editHenke was married to actress Katelin Chesna from 2001 to 2008.[12][13]
In an Instagram post dated May 15, 2021, Henke stated that he had a 90 percent blockage of an artery.[14][15] In another post dated June 29, 2021, he stated that he had two stents put in his heart, and that his spleen and half of his pancreas were removed to treat a "golf ball sized" tumor.[16][17]
Henke died in his sleep on November 29, 2022, at the age of 56.[18][19]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Mr. Wrong | Bob | |
| 1996 | Space Jam | Stars Catcher | |
| 1996 | The Fan | Tjader | |
| 1999 | Dill Scallion | Bartender | |
| 1999 | The Thirteenth Floor | Cop #1 | |
| 2000 | Gone in 60 Seconds | Uncredited | |
| 2003 | Love Object | Dotson | Credited as Brad Henke |
| 2004 | The Assassination of Richard Nixon | Martin Jones | |
| 2005 | Must Love Dogs | Leo | |
| 2005 | The Amateurs | Ron | |
| 2005 | North Country | Mr. Lattavansky | |
| 2005 | Me and You and Everyone We Know | Andrew | |
| 2006 | Sherrybaby | Bobby Swanson | |
| 2006 | World Trade Center | Allison's brother | |
| 2006 | Hollywoodland | Russ Taylor | |
| 2006 | Altered | Duke | |
| 2008 | Choke | Denny | |
| 2008 | Around June | Henry | |
| 2009 | Short Term 12 | Denim | Later adapted into the 2013 film |
| 2010 | The Space Between | Will | |
| 2011 | The Trouble with Bliss | Steven 'Jetski' Jouseski | Also known as East Fifth Bliss |
| 2011 | Magic Valley | Jerry Garabrant | |
| 2012 | I Am Not a Hipster | Bradley Haines | |
| 2012 | Struck by Lightning | Principal Gifford | |
| 2013 | Jobs | Paul Terrell | |
| 2013 | Pacific Rim | Construction foreman | |
| 2013 | The Frozen Ground | Carl Galenski | |
| 2014 | Draft Day | Tony 'Bagel' Bagli | |
| 2014 | Fury | Sgt. Davis | Credited as Brad Henke |
| 2015 | Pure Love | Detective Dillard | |
| 2016 | The Tank | Dane Hankeard | |
| 2016 | Pee-wee's Big Holiday | Grizzly Bear Daniels | |
| 2016 | Split | John Cooke | |
| 2017 | Bright | Dorghu | |
| 2018 | Cold Brook | Chip | |
| 2019 | Wounds | Eric | |
| 2019 | Inherit the Viper | Tedd Wallace | |
| 2020 | Arkansas | Tim | |
| 2022 | The Ray | Billings | |
| 2022 | Block Party | Buddy Frank |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Chicago Hope | Freddy Lulenski | Episode: "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" |
| 1996 | Silk Stalkings | Amos Alexander | Episode: "Loyalty" |
| 1996–1997 | Nash Bridges | P.J. Pollard / Tommy | 2 episodes |
| 1997 | Arliss | Zack Bowers | Episode: "A Full Service Agency" |
| 1997 | Michael Hayes | Billy Desmore | Episode: "Heroes" |
| 1998 | ER | John | Episode: "Think Warm Thoughts" |
| 1998 | The Pretender | Jimbo | Episode: "Crazy" |
| 1998 | Sports Night | Christian Patrick | Episode: "Mary Pat Shelby" |
| 1998 | To Have & to Hold | Christopher Dimatto | Episode: "Hope You Had the Time of Your Wife" |
| 1999 | Pensacola: Wings of Gold | Wayne | Episode: "Lost" |
| 1999 | Martial Law | Buzz Tippitt | Episode: "Breakout" |
| 2000–2001 | Going to California | Henry "Hank" Ungalow | 20 episodes |
| 2000 | The Michael Richards Show | Tommy | Episode: "The Identity Loan" |
| 2002 | Crossing Jordan | Andy Lebowski | Episode: "Secrets & Lies: Part 2" |
| 2002 | Providence | Luke English | Episode: "Cloak & Dagger" |
| 2002 | Judging Amy | Det. Chris Cross | 2 episodes |
| 2003 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | George Bartell | Episode: "Fur and Loathing" |
| 2006 | Dexter | Tony Tucci | 4 episodes |
| 2007 | Cold Case | Mike Chulaski | Episode: "Cargo" |
| 2008 | Law & Order | Ted Sanderson | Episode: "Strike" |
| 2008 | Life on Mars | Michael H., the Hostage Taker | Episode: "Tuesday's Dead" |
| 2007–2008 | October Road | Owen Dennis Rowan | 19 episodes |
| 2009–2010 | Lost | Bram | 6 episodes |
| 2009 | Trust Me | Lewis | Episode: "Odd Man Out" |
| 2009 | CSI: Miami | Arnold Hollings | Episode: "Out of Time" |
| 2009 | Solving Charlie | Tom Taylor | Television film |
| 2010 | Party Down | Travis | Episode: "Steve Guttenberg's Birthday" |
| 2010 | Royal Pains | Roy | Episode: "Whole Lotto Love" |
| 2011 | Criminal Minds | Steve | Episode: "Sense Memory" |
| 2011 | Shameless | Hal Hollander | Episode: "Daddyz Girl" |
| 2011 | Justified | Coover Bennett | 9 episodes |
| 2011 | Grimm | Hap Lasser | Episode: "The Three Bad Wolves" |
| 2011 | The Chicago Code | Ernie Moosekian | 3 episodes |
| 2011 | Memphis Beat | Mark Aiden | Episode: "Identity Crisis" |
| 2012 | Bones | Melvin Carville | Episode: "The Bod in the Pod" |
| 2013 | The Office | Frank | Episode: "Vandalism" |
| 2013 | Castle | Mark Heller | Episode: "Scared to Death" |
| 2013 | Longmire | Sal Vayas | Episode: "Death Came In Like Thunder" |
| 2013–2014 | The Bridge | Jim Dobbs | 4 episodes |
| 2015 | Uncle | Background Singer | Episode: " I'm Back" |
| 2015 | Hawaii Five-0 | Richie Malloy | Episode: "Luapo'i" |
| 2016–2018 | Orange Is the New Black | Desi Piscatella | 26 episodes |
| 2016 | The Night Shift | Clayton Timmons | Episode: "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" |
| 2017 | Sneaky Pete | Brendon | 6 episodes |
| 2018 | MacGyver | Jonah Walsch | Episode: "MacGyver + MacGyver" |
| 2020 | Manhunt: Deadly Games | Big John | 4 episodes |
| 2020 | The Stand | Tom Cullen | 6 episodes |
| 2022 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Captain Don Kubiak | Episodes: "Once Upon a Time in El Barrio" |
References
edit- ^ "Brad Henke". NFL.com.
- ^ "Brad Henke Stats, News and Video - NT". NFL.com. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
- ^ Holmes, Jonathan (October 19, 2016). "Orange Is the New Black actor joins Will Smith's Netflix movie". Radio Times. Archived from the original on July 19, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ "Brad Henke, Combine Results, DT - Arizona". nflcombineresults.com. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
- ^ "1989 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
- ^ "Optimism in Minicamp". The New York Times. May 27, 1989. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Petruska, Dave (January 24, 1998). "Ex-Wildcat Brad Henke tackles whole new career as an actor". Tucson Citizen. Archived from the original on January 7, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ a b Herman, James Patrick (July 29, 2016). "OITNB's Brad William Henke Talks Openly Gay 'Papa Bear' Piscatella (Exclusive)". Out Magazine. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ Petski, Denise (February 22, 2017). "Brad William Henke Joins CBS' Jenny Lumet Drama Pilot; Emayatzy Corinealdi In 'The Get'". Deadline. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ Guglielmi, Jodi (January 30, 2017). "Screen Actors Guild Awards 2017: Orange Is the New Black Wins Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series". People. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ Agard, Chancellor (January 30, 2017). "'OITNB' Cast After SAG Win: 'What Unites Us Is Stronger Than What Divides Us'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ "Actor Brad William Henke's been busy adding to his family and resume". People. September 27, 2006. Archived from the original on July 3, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ "Simone's Airbrush Tanning's Bodybuilder Spray Tan Helps Female Bodybuilder Katelin Chesna Prepare for Her Competition". PRWeb. March 9, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ "happy to be alive !!! The rest of my time on this planet is a bonus! So I will be cutting some people out and getting closer to others - I only want positive dream chasers in my life who actually care about me from now on - not going to waste a second on anything that is not geared towards love happiness and reaching my potential as a human and serves my passion to be the best actor I can be - I LOVE my family and friends and am so lucky I get to see you again". Instagram. May 15, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
- ^ Malone, Michael (December 5, 2022). "Brad William Henke, NFL Player Turned Actor, Has Died". nexttv.com. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
- ^ "for my heart and my spleen and half my pancreas gone to remove a golf sized tumor - this is what is left of me lol - but NO CANCER - the heart is good / NO DAMAGE - I can work out in three weeks - LET's GO! Going to PROSPER this next chapter in family - love - life, and career with a CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH - I'm looking to be to the lead of an amazing tv slow - holler at your boy - it's time to shine". Instagram. June 29, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
- ^ Smith, Michael David (December 3, 2022). "Brad William Henke, NFL defensive lineman and actor, dies at 56". Yahoo! News. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
- ^ "Brad William Henke, 'Orange is the New Black' and 'Lost' Actor, Dies at 56". The Hollywood Reporter. December 2, 2022.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (December 1, 2022). "Brad William Henke Dies: 'Orange Is The New Black', 'Justified' & 'Dexter' Actor Was 56". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 1, 2022.