American actor Stacy Keach, famed for portraying television detective Mike Hammer and Warden Henry Pope in Prison Break, has died at the age of 85.
Keach died on Tuesday, November 10, at his family home in Magdalenka, Poland, following a long struggle with heart failure and a serious heart condition. His wife, Małgosia Tomassi Keach, confirmed his death to Variety.
“It is with profound sadness and a broken heart that I announce the passing of my darling husband, Stacy Keach,” she said in a statement. “After a long and difficult battle with a serious heart condition and heart failure, Stacy peacefully departed this world.”
She added that his remarkable spirit, distinctive voice and the love he showed his family would remain with them. Keach is survived by Małgosia and their children, Shannon and Karolina.
Keach brought Mickey Spillane’s hard-boiled private detective Mike Hammer to television in a series of films and programmes during the 1980s and 1990s. He later became known to a new generation of viewers as Warden Henry Pope in Prison Break.
His other television credits included Blue Bloods, in which he played the Archbishop of New York, and Titus, where he took the leading role.
His film work included Fat City, American History X, Nebraska and The Bourne Legacy. He won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Ernest Hemingway and received a Tony nomination for playing Buffalo Bill in Indians.
Keach’s acting career was disrupted in 1984 when he was arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport for attempting to smuggle cocaine into Britain. He served six months in Reading Prison and later became an advocate for tackling drug abuse, including giving evidence before the US Congress.
His death follows those of several veteran screen actors this year. Nollywood actor Francis Duru died in October, while Hollywood star Robert Duvall died aged 95 in February.
Born in Savannah, Georgia, Keach came from a family involved in acting. He studied at the University of California, Berkeley, and Yale before attending a London drama school as a Fulbright scholar.
He suffered a heart attack while performing on stage in Chicago in June 2017.
In July 2019, Keach was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in recognition of his contribution to television.
