Stacy Keach, the actor who turned private detective Mike Hammer into one of his most recognizable roles, has died at the age of 85. He died on Tuesday at his home in Magdalenka, Poland, after a lengthy battle with serious heart disease and heart failure. The news was announced by his wife, Malgosia Tomasi Keach.
“After a long and difficult battle with serious heart disease and heart failure, Stacy passed away peacefully,” she said in a statement cited by the Associated Press.
From Mike Hammer to “Prison Break”
Keach remained most closely associated with the character of tough private detective Mike Hammer from Mickey Spillane’s crime novels. The series starring him began airing on CBS in 1986, after production had been delayed because of his arrest.
The actor had roles in Franco Zeffirelli’s “Jesus of Nazareth,” “American History X,” “Nebraska” and the series “Prison Break.” Theater, however, held a central place in his career. Keach received a Tony Award nomination for his performance in the Broadway play “Indians.”
He won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Ernest Hemingway in a television miniseries. For the role, the actor gained 15 kilograms.
The Arrest and Public Battle with Addiction
In 1984, Keach was arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport for attempting to smuggle cocaine into the United Kingdom. The drug had been hidden in a package of aerosol shaving cream and in his luggage.
The actor was sentenced to nine months in prison and served six of them at Reading Prison. He later described the experience as the most difficult moment of his life.
After his release, Keach spoke openly about his cocaine addiction. He took part in anti-drug campaigns, visited universities and rehabilitation centers, and testified before the U.S. Congress about his personal battle.
His Later Years
In June 2017, Keach suffered a heart attack during a performance in Chicago. Despite his health problems, he continued working in film, television and theater.
Stacy Keach was born in Savannah, Georgia. He studied at the University of California, Berkeley, the Yale School of Drama and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art as a Fulbright scholar.
The actor was married four times and had two children – Shannon and Karolina.
Sources: btvnovinite.bg, apnews.com