Mike Hammer star Stacy Keach dies at 85

• American actor Stacy Keach died at his home in Poland after a long battle with heart disease and heart failure.
• He was best known for playing detective Mike Hammer and was also acclaimed for his stage performances.
• Keach won a Golden Globe for portraying Ernest Hemingway in a 1988 television miniseries.

American actor Stacy Keach, whose career ranged from Shakespearean theatre to the television detective series Mike Hammer, has died at the age of 85.

Keach died on November 10 at his home in Magdalenka, Poland, his wife, Malgosia Tomassi Keach, said. She said he had faced a long battle with a serious heart condition and heart failure.

The actor gained international recognition for playing private detective Mike Hammer on television. His stage work also earned praise, particularly his performances in classical Shakespearean productions.

In 1984, Keach was arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport after cocaine was found in his luggage. He was sentenced to nine months in prison and released after serving six months. He later resumed his acting career and took part in efforts to raise awareness about drugs.

Keach won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of American writer Ernest Hemingway in the 1988 television miniseries Hemingway.

His later screen work included the 2025 George Clooney film Jay Kelly.