Brad William Henke has died at the age of 56.
The actor who starred in Orange Is The New Black is said to have died in his sleep on November 29, according to Deadline. It's unclear what the cause of death was at present.
Henke had also starred in hit series Dexter, while on the big screen he featured in films such as Pacific Rim and World Trade Center.
Prior to his acting career, he was a star in the NFL stateside. He started his road to the big league at the University of Arizona before he was drafted by the New York Giants. He later went on to play for the Denver Broncos. He retired from the game in 1994.
Turning to acting following his spell in the sport, Henke featured in more than 100 parts in the industry. Initially, he starred on shows such as ER, Chicago Hope and Nash Bridges before he acquired his maiden recurring role in 2000 on WB series Nikki. He starred as Nikki Cox on the show until 2002.
Further guest appearances followed, including spots on CSI, Crossing Jordan and Judging Amy, before he landed a four-episode part in Dexter, where he played the role of a murder suspect-turned-near-victim.
Other major shows he appeared on included Law & Order, Life on Mars and CSI: Miami before being cast as Desi Piscatella in dramedy Orange Is The New Black.
His character was a gay corrections officer at the penitentiary and he featured a number of times between 2016 and 2018.
His part on the show saw him share a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2017. They were nominated again the following year, but failed to grab the gong.
Earlier in the month, he told fans on Twitter he was "trying to make that happen" when he was asked about getting his own TV series.
Following the news of his death, fans and famous faces took to Twitter to pay their respects.
Casting director Jen Euston wrote: "This is a shock. rest well, Brad. Thank you for all the work you contributed on OITNB. You will not be forgotten."
TV producer and writer Leonard Chang echoed the sentiments, writing: "Oh, no! Coover! A lovely man, a gentleman, and a great actor."
Henke is survived by his mother, sister, wife, stepchildren and grandchild.
