Brad William Henke

Brad William Henke (April 10, 1966 – November 29, 2022) was an American actor and former National Football League (NFL) and Arena Football League (AFL) player. He gained recognition for his portrayal of Corrections Officer Desi Piscatella in the television series Orange Is the New Black, for which he received the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2016. Born in Columbus, Nebraska, Henke attended the University of Arizona and played football as a defensive lineman. After being drafted by the New York Giants in the 1989 NFL Draft, he went on to play for the Denver Broncos. Henke retired from professional football in 1994 due to recurring injuries. He began his acting career in 1994, appearing in various commercials and later in films such as October Road, World Trade Center, and Choke, among others.