Skip to contentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.Join todayAlready a member? Log inMark KennedyWednesday 11 November 2026 08:04 GMTStacy Keach at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival (Reuters)Acclaimed American stage and screen actor Stacy Keach, best known for playing private investigator Mike Hammer, has died aged 85 at his home in Magdalenka, Poland, following a battle with a serious heart condition.Renowned as a pre-eminent interpreter of Shakespeare who played King Lear, Hamlet, and Richard III, Keach enjoyed a highly diverse career spanning major theatre productions, award-winning miniseries, and film roles in Nebraska and American History X.Keach's career was nearly derailed in 1984 when he was arrested at London's Heathrow Airport for attempting to smuggle cocaine into Britain, leading to a sentence of which he served six months at Reading Prison.Following his release, he channelled his experience into anti-drug advocacy by testifying before the US Congress on chemical dependency before successfully reviving his acting career, including the return of The New Mike Hammer and a role in Prison Break.The actor, who was married four times and previously survived a heart attack on stage in Chicago in 2017, is survived by his wife, Polish actor Malgosia Tomassi Keach, and his children, Shannon and Karolina.In fullStacy Keach death: Mike Hammer and Prison Break star dies aged 85More bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in