Brad William Henke dead – Orange Is The New Black and Dexter star dies aged 56

Brad William Henke has died aged 56.

Brad was best known for starring in hit TV series such as Neflix's Orange Is The New Black, Dexter, Justified and Lost, as well as films like Pacific Rim and World Trade Centre.

Brad is said to have died in his sleep on Tuesday 29 November, but his family did not give a cause when they confirmed the news of his passing to Deadline.

His reps also said in a statement to TMZ: “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. Our thoughts are with his wife and family.”

Prior to his acting career he was an NFL player. He was drafted by the New York Giants in 1989, before going on to play for the Denver Broncos.

The late actor and football star moved to Los Angeles in 1994 after injuries caused him to retire from the sport, and went on to bag guest spots on shows such as ER, Chicago Hope and Silk Stockings.

His first major acting role wasn’t until 2002, however, when he starred in Nikki; a WB Network comedy starring Nikki Cox.

Brad was later cast as Desi Piscatella, a gay corrections officer at Litchfield Federal Penitentiary in Orange Is The New Black, and featured in over 20 episodes between 2016 – 2018.

The cast, including Brad, won a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2017, before the series came to an end after its seventh season.

Fans of the actor have since taken to social media to pay their respects.

One person wrote: “Damn, RIP Brad William Henke. I really dug seeing him in different movies and shows when he would pop up.”

“Brad William Henke what a loss. He was a great guy. Rest in peace OITNB brother,” added Orange Is The New Black co-star Tamara Torres.

OITNB Director Jen Euston also paid tribute to him, writing: “this is a shock. rest well, Brad.

“Thank you for all the work you contributed on OITNB. you will not be forgotten,” she went on.

Another person penned: “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.”

According to Deadline, Brad is survived by his mother, Tammy; his sister, Annette; his wife, Sonja; stepson Aaden; stepdaughter Leasa; and grandchild Amirah.

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