Actor and former NFL player Brad William Henke has died at the age of 56, his family has said.

Henke passed away on 29 November in his sleep, and no cause of death was given.

Before stepping into acting, Henke played in the NFL for the New York Giants and Denver Broncos, even going on to be defensive line for the latter in the 1989 Super Bowl.

He retired in 1994 and moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting, later responding to a call for “big guys” and appearing in shows such as ER and Nash Bridges.

Henke went on to star in other shows such as Nikki, CSI: Miami, and Dexter.

His biggest role was in Orange is the New Black as Desi Piscatella, an officer at the prison, which earned him a shared SAG award with his fellow cast mates in 2017.

In a statement to TMZ, his manager said: “Brad was an incredibly kind man of joyous energy. A very talented actor, he loved being a part of this community… and we loved him back.

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“Our thoughts are with his wife and family.”

He is survived by his mother Tammy, his sister Annette, his wife Sonja, stepson Aaden, stepdaughter Leasa and grandchild Amirah.

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