Veteran American actor Stacy Keach, whose six-decade career spanned acclaimed stage performances andtelevision dramas has died at the age of 85. Keach died Tuesday at his family home in Magdalenka, Poland, after a long battle with a serious heart condition, his wife, Malgosia Keach, announced.
In a statement obtained by People, Malgosia Keach said her husband "peacefully departed this world."
“Stacy was not only a legendary actor, admired and loved by audiences the world over, but also my beloved husband, my companion and the heart of our family,” she said. His death followed “a long and difficult battle with a serious heart condition and heart failure,” Malgosia said.
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Mike Hammer and Shakespeare defined his career
Keach built one of Hollywood’s most respected careers as a character actor, earning praise across film, television and theatre. While he never became a mainstream box-office star, critics widely regarded him as one of America’s finest classical actors.
He also appeared in major productions like The Bourne Legacy, Nebraska, Prison Break, American History X, Titus and Lights Out.
{{/usCountry}}He also appeared in major productions like The Bourne Legacy, Nebraska, Prison Break, American History X, Titus and Lights Out.
{{/usCountry}}However, Keach became a television icon after portraying detective Mike Hammer in The New Mike Hammer, which premiered in 1984 following the successful CBS television movie Murder Me, Murder You. He later reprised the role in television films and the 1997 series Mike Hammer, Private Eye.
The actor often credited author Mickey Spillane’s novels for inspiring him from childhood. In his 2013 memoir, All in All: An Actor’s Life On and Off the Stage, Keach wrote that he dreamed for decades of portraying the hard-boiled detective.
(This story is being updated)