What a year 2026 has been. We’ve seen so many sad losses, and sadly, another one today, Stacy Keach, has died at the age of 85.
Keach’s wife confirmed his death on Tuesday in a statement to Variety. She said that he passed in their family home in Poland. He had been battling a serious heart condition and heart failure.
The statement from Keach’s wife said:
“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. 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.”
Keach was a star of stage and screen; he started acting in the 1960s, finding fame in Fat City (1972) directed by John Huston. He made appearances in TV shows like Brooklyn 99, Two and a Half Men, Ray Donovan, Prison Break and The Simpsons.
In 2010, he received a Helen Hayes Award for his performance of King Lear for the Shakespeare Company. Keach also won a Tony for playing Buffalo Bill on Broadway. He was a founding member of L. A. Theatre Works.
Many will remember him as Mike Hammer, Private Eye, which ran from 1997 – 98.
In 1984 the police arrested Keach at London’s Heathrow airport for possession of cocaine. He pleaded guilty and spent six months in Reading Prison. During that time, Mike Hammer was narrated by impressionist Rich Little.
Keach was married four times, first to Kathryn Baker in 1964, then to Marilyn Aiken from 1975-79 and to Jill Donahue from 1981-86.
RIP Stacy Keach at 85. Our thoughts are with your family and friends.
