Actor Brad William Henry, an actor and former NFL player, died at the age of 56.

Henke's agent confirmed the death that occurred on Tuesday, noting only that he passed away while sleeping.

Actor Brad William Henke dies in his sleep at 56-years-oldhttps://t.co/49Srlgah4Y

— TheBlaze (@theblaze) December 2, 2022

The details

"Brad was an incredibly kind man of joyous energy," Henke's manager, Matt DelPiano, said in a statement, according to E! News.

"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," he added.

Brad William Henke, Actor in ‘Orange Is the New Black’ and ‘Justified’ and Former Football Pro, Dies at 56 https://t.co/leFET7QwGD

— Variety (@Variety) December 2, 2022

His career

"Henke appeared in Netflix's 'Orange Is the New Black' as Desi Piscatella, a gay corrections officer at Litchfield Penitentiary who served as the main antagonist of Season 4 and 5. He shared a SAG Award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series in 2017," Variety reported.

"He had a lead role in the series 'Going to California,' which ran for one season, and also had recurring roles on 'Justified,' where he played Coover Bennett, 'Lost,' 'October Road,' 'Nikki' and 'Dexter,'" it added.

"Orange Is the New Black" actor Brad William Henke dies at 56: reports https://t.co/wQC1HYT58P pic.twitter.com/OxGL6CWtyk

— The Hill (@thehill) December 2, 2022

Henke also played in the NFL, according to reporting by The Hill.

"Henke's career took him to the NFL before he found success acting, graduating from the University of Arizona, where he played defensive line, and joining the New York Giants in 1989, according to his IMDB page," it noted.

"He would go on to play in Super Bowl XXIV with the Denver Broncos before he retired in 1994 after suffering a number of injuries," the report added.

"I'm fortunate I've found something I love to do a million times more than playing football," Henke said, according to a Tucson Citizen piece. "I was kind of lost for a while after my football career ended, and I'm so glad I found this. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life with the best of my life already behind me."

A native of Nebraska, Henke was married to Katelin Chesna before their divorce in 2008. His loss marks the storied life of a multi-talented individual whose impact ranged from sports to film and beyond as a leader in his generation.