Stacy Keach, ‘Mike Hammer’ Actor, Dies at 85

Keach died after a long struggle with a grave cardiac ailment and heart failure, his wife, Malgosia Tomassi, said. She described him as a beloved husband and the heart of their family, and remembered his voice and generosity as part of the legacy he leaves behind.

He became widely known for playing hard-boiled private eye Mike Hammer, first in a 1983 television film and then in a series that ran for four seasons. He returned to the character in later television movies and another series. Keach also starred in the sitcom Titus and had a recurring role on Blue Bloods.

His film work included Fat City, in which he played an aging boxer mentoring a younger fighter, and The New Centurions, where he portrayed a rookie police officer. Other credits included the western about Judge Roy Bean, Doc, Nebraska and the Cheech & Chong comedies. On stage, he earned acclaim as a Shakespearean actor, including for his portrayal of Hamlet.

Keach’s brother, actor and filmmaker James Keach, was among his survivors. The brothers took on the roles of outlaw siblings Frank and Jesse James for the movie The Long Riders, which they also co-wrote and co-produced. Keach later drew on his experience serving time in an English prison when shaping his role as a prison warden in Prison Break.

In 2017, a performance of Keach’s one-man play Pamplona in Chicago was cut short after he struggled to recall lines. He later said he had suffered a mild heart attack, then returned to perform the play in 2018.