Stacy Keach Dies at 85 After Career Defined by Stage Greatness and a Notorious Arrest
The actor, famous for playing Mike Hammer and Shakespeare, died in Poland after a heart condition that had plagued him for years.
By Lorenzo Patterson ·
Stacy Keach, the stage actor and television star who brought a gritty intensity to the role of private investigator Mike Hammer, died Tuesday at age 85. His death occurred at his home in Magdalenka, Poland, following a prolonged battle with heart failure and a serious cardiac condition. His wife, Malgosia Tomassi Keach, announced the passing, noting that Keach had suffered a heart attack on stage in Chicago in June 2017, which marked a turning point in his health.
Keach’s career was defined by a deliberate refusal to typecast himself. While he is most widely recognized for his portrayal of the Mickey Spillane character, he maintained a rigorous commitment to theatrical diversity. He stated in a 2012 interview with New York magazine that he prioritized a varied selection of roles over commercial consistency. "My objective was to have as varied a selection of roles as possible. It probably did hurt my career," Keach said. He continued: "My choices have had a cost attached to it. But I’ve gotten to play Hamlet, and Richard III, and King Lear, and I would not give that up for anything."
His 1984 arrest in London became a defining moment that altered his public perception. While filming the "Mike Hammer" series, Keach was detained at Heathrow Airport for attempting to smuggle 1.3 ounces of cocaine concealed in an aerosol shaving cream can. He was sentenced to nine months in Reading Prison, a medium-security facility chosen to limit media access. Keach described the experience in his 2013 memoir as the lowest moment of his life. He recalled receiving letters from Gregory Peck, Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, and Al Pacino during his incarceration. He was released after six months and subsequently testified before a House panel about his chemical dependency, stating, "There is no greater imprisonment than that of being dependent on a chemical substance for one’s existence."
Following his release, Keach rebuilt his career with strong television performances. He starred in the CBS miniseries "Mistral’s Daughter" and won a Golden Globe Award for playing Ernest Hemingway in a six-hour production, a role that required him to gain 35 pounds. He also received a Tony Award nomination for his work in "Indians" and appeared in films such as "Nebraska," "American History X," and "The Bourne Legacy." In his final year, he portrayed George Clooney’s father in the film "Jay Kelly."
Keach was born in Savannah, Georgia, to actors who met at Northwestern University. He earned degrees in English and dramatic art from the University of California, Berkeley, and later studied at the Yale School of Drama and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. His early career included work with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the New York Public Theater. He is survived by his fourth wife, Malgosia Tomassi Keach, and their two children, Shannon and Karolina.
Actor Lou Diamond Phillips, who worked with Keach on the 2008 TV movie "Lone Rider," paid tribute to him on social media. Phillips described Keach as a "consummate actor, gracious, giving and incredibly kind even while he had the presence of a smoldering volcano." The tribute concluded by calling him one of the greats and expressing pride in having shared scenes with him.
