Stacy Keach, 'Mike Hammer' Star, Dies at 85

Death and Family Statement

Stacy Keach, the actor known for starring in the CBS series Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer, died Monday at age 85. His wife, Małgosia Tomassi, said he died “after a long and difficult battle with a serious heart condition and heart failure” at the family home in Magdalenka, Poland.

“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 wrote. “His passing leaves an immeasurable emptiness in our lives. But his extraordinary spirit, his unforgettable voice and the love he gave so generously will remain with us forever.”

Career Highlights

Keach earned a Best Actor Tony nomination and Drama Desk Award for playing Buffalo Bill in the 1970 play Indians and was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in 2015. His film credits include Fat City (1972), Doc (1971), The New Centurians (1971), Up in Smoke (1978), American History X, and Nebraska (2014).

He played the literary private detective in Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer, which debuted in midseason 1984 and aired for three seasons into 1987. Filming was interrupted when Keach was arrested with cocaine at London’s Heathrow Airport. He was sentenced to nine months in prison after pleading guilty, served six months, and returned to the role in the retitled The New Mike Hammer. He later reprised the role in Mike Hammer: Private Eye, which aired for two seasons in 1997-98.

His television work also included Titus, Man with a Plan, Prison Break, The Blacklist, Ray Donovan, and Blue Bloods. He won a Golden Globe for the 1988 miniseries Hemingway and earned his lone career Emmy nomination for that role.

Tributes

Jane Seymour, who was married to Stacy Keach’s brother James Keach from 1993 until 2015, shared a tribute on Instagram.

“My heart is heavy with the news of Stacy Keach’s passing,” she wrote in the caption.

She called Stacy “an extraordinary actor and a true master of his craft” and said he was “someone who was part of my family and my life for so many years.”

Keach is survived by Tomassi; his children, Karolina and Shannon Keach; his grandchildren and their spouses.

Sources

• deadline.com: Stacy Keach Dead: 'Mike Hammer' Star, Film & Stage Actor Was 85
• people.com: Jane Seymour Offers Heartfelt Tribute to Former Brother-in-Law, Stacy Keach

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