Brad William Henke – Orange is the New Black

By starrymag | June 14, 2017

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) During the season of Orange and after I was in the Amazon movie Bright with Will Smith that was directed by David Ayer. That comes out in December. That is a great role for me. Then, I shot a pilot for CBS called “Higher Ground,” But I found out like two weeks ago it did not get picked up. I also started doing something called “The Regular Guy Show” and it is a live YouTube call in show. People can call in and I’ll talk about one episode at a time each day so I don’t have to answer all the Instagram messages. The “Orange” response has been amazing.

Q) How was your role as Piscatella on “Orange is the New Black” originally described to you?

A) It wasn’t described to me. I had to audition for it and if you actually look at my Instagram you will actually see three or four audition scenes from my actual audition. But there was a scene where I realize that he was gay. Nothing else was every described to me.

Q) Were you always aware the character was supposed to be gay?

A) I was always aware. It’s funny because the first day we did the scene where I kind of herd them back from the lake. Danielle [Brooks] who plays Taystee says, “I wonder if they are going to make it so that all the girls have a crush on you.” I was like, “I don’t know.” [laughs] I couldn’t tell her. That was cute! I did know that, but none of them knew that where the scene I say, “I like dudes.” It’s funny because I remember the sound guy saying, “Huh. Piscatella likes dudes.” [laughs]

Q) Was there anything you added to the role?

A) I think the fact that I had four audition scenes from different episodes kind of helped me see a little bit about where he would go. And it’s such good writing and dialogue that it pretty much tells me what to do. I just felt like what I added to it was like….Why am I here? I didn’t know. But here is a chance for me to be in charge of something. I’ve come from Men’s Max so coming here I feel like I know more than people and I’ve experienced more than people. Get this place in line and really do an amazing job and be the guide here.

Q) Did you do anything special to prepare for the role?

A) There wasn’t much time, first of all. I auditioned and two days later I was there. So, you kind of learn how you feel when you do the scenes. My second scene (thank God) was me telling them to line up in front of their barracks and then I call their names out and find someone is missing. I saw how they were all in a group and knew each other. I really wanted them to respect my character so when we did the first couple rehearsals of that scene I was really loud and cussing. Those weren’t the lines and that wasn’t how I wanted to do it, but I saw them look at me like, “This mother***er is crazy!” [laughs] It really got their attention. I felt like I had to do something that when I walk in there was a heaviness in the air. So, I really the first couple episodes in the rehearsals would be really loud and aggressive and make them think I was fucking crazy. Then, when I was doing the scene I did it how you saw. But I just wanted to build in that fear.

Q) Were you a fan of the series before joining the cast?

A) A little bit before Season Three I watched Season One and Season Two with my girlfriend over two days. Then, Season Three came out and I watched Episode One and then I got the audition. I did the audition and three days later I was in New York shooting the show. So, it was super exciting because they have such good actors in it and it has such good writing. I was really excited to be on it.

Q) Piscatella takes his job very seriously. Did you create a backstory for him?

A) The first year I did not know my backstory so I had to make it up. This year you will see my backstory. I can say this much…I worked at the men’s correctional facility and I was very excited. I was much lighter. I was happy to be there. Some really bad shit happened there…to me and then I ended up doing something that I’ll have to carry for the rest of my life. So, bringing that back to Litchfield I feel like I knew there had to be order, I knew people had to be in line and I knew I wasn’t going to let another inmate ever let my guard down and fuck me over. The women open their heart to you and they want you to know them personally and open your heart to them and their unique story. Well, I completely opened my heart to someone and I was completely fucked over. Someone lost their life. There were huge consequences. So, I know now no matter how sweet they are. Piper is coming in and talking to me…You don’t know who it is and it’s probably the person you trust the most that is the one who is different who will hurt you and fuck you over. So, you cannot trust any of them.

Q) What are some funny behind the scenes moments that stand out to you?

A) I would have so much fun when Caputo (Nick Sandow) is there, when Humps (Michael Torpey) is there and Dixon (Mike Houston) is there. When I have my guys there and we’re hanging out and talking in the donut room. I always have a lot of fun when all the guys are together. The most fun I’ve ever had in a scene was last season when I do that scene with Caputo where he tells Humps he’s fired and I say, “No, he’s not fired.” We have that confrontation and we were talking…Sometimes Nick will break or laugh and if he laughs then it’s going to make me laugh. So, we’re in this confrontation and he says, “I don’t know where you’ve been. You’ve been here jacking off this person or that person.” Then, I did this big jackoff gesture and it didn’t make it into the show. He starts to laugh and I said, “Don’t you laugh! Don’t you f**kng do it!” [laughs] Then everyone started laughing. I looked over at Alan Aisenberg who plays Bayley who was looking straight down. As soon as they said “cut” we all started laughing. It was really fun.

Q) Is there much room to improvise at all during filming?

A) Well, not really with words. But last year they were doing this scene where they were standing up on the tables where I walk over to Stratman (Evan Hall) and put my hand on his shoulder just a little too long…Just a tiny bit too long. He looked at my hand for just a second. That was before people knew my character was gay. So, I made my character have a crush on Stratman. Just little things like that…I think that physically you can add a lot through improv. You can do something physically like that, but as far as changing the lines – the lines are so good so maybe someone will say something…And I have improvised things like when Lori Petty’s character ran away and I said, “Look at her run like an ostrich.” You can improvise stuff sometimes more after the dialogue is over, maybe continue the scene and improv. You don’t really want to change the scene too much because it is so good.

Q) We touched on it a bit, but where is your favorite place to film in the prison?

A) My favorite scenes was that scene with Nick. As far as a fun day, it’s a fun day when all the guys are there. We do improv a little bit. What they’ll say is, “I liked that improv” or “Don’t do that.” Those scenes are fun. The scene with Nick was fun. But the most fun scenes are the interrogation scenes with Red and the scene last year when everyone got on the tables. This year there some intense scenes that I’m not allowed to talk about. All the intense scenes are fun for me.

Q) Who haven’t you worked with yet that you would love to have some scenes with?

A) I haven’t really had any scenes with Crazy Eyes (Uzo Aduba). Otherwise, I’ve worked with everybody I think.

Q) You do have such an intense character. How do you shake him off at the end of the day?

A) Well, the lucky thing is that I live in LA and it shoots in New York. I don’t have a girlfriend to come home to. It’s a long van ride from one of the locations and a subway ride so there is time to just kind of relax. Then, I stay in a hotel which was by the stage and I just walk around. I think because I was able to spend so much time alone otherwise I wouldn’t be happy. You’re in a mood. I’m in a mood and that mood kind of lingers for a little while. I think I just kind of spend a lot of time alone.

Q) What kind of fan feedback have you been receiving from the LGBTQ+ community about that side to Piscatella?

A) They are so sweet to me and they love me. I really, really appreciate me. What they say is they never knew I was gay until I said so to Piper (Taylor Schilling). So they just love that here’s this character who is all these things (flaws in all, strengths in all, my size, etc.) who…Oh! He just so happens to be gay. They really, really liked that it was a layered character and it was not a stereotype. When I go places they stop me and tell me that. It’s really, really nice because someone told me, “You’re the first gay character I saw on TV that in five seconds I didn’t know they were gay because of the way they were dressed or a stereotype.” They found that offensive and this was just so fresh. I think it really made them feel less stereotyped, less pigeonholed and more free to be the way that they are.

Q) What are some things you would like to clear up and be sure fans of “Orange” know about Piscatella?

A) I always say that when people say last season Piscatella was a jerk. I don’t see that, ever. I think that he wanted to put that prison in shape and he wanted also for himself to prove to himself and everyone else that he could run a prison and it would be an accomplishment in my life. I run this prison. As far as Poussey (Samira Wiley), people think I killed her. I didn’t kill her. Those inmates were having a protest and it started to get out of control. I told Bayley to get them down. Crazy Eyes started acting crazy and those two started fighting. It was an accident. No one tried to call her. I would never want to kill anyone. So, I think that is important to say. I have a heart.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I just want to say thank you. I’ve been acting for twenty some years and more people have seen me and acknowledged me from my work on “Orange.” I think the fans are so kind to me. I just appreciate it so much. There is always going to be Twitter trolls where people say they hate me and want to kill me. I just LOVE how much they hate me. That means that I’m doing my job and that means that the line of reality has been blurred for them. But every time I see them on the street they want to give me a huge and take a picture. It’s so nice! It’s just been the best experience of my whole life.