Actor Stacy Keach, known for Mike Hammer, dies at 85

Stacy Keach died on Tuesday at his family home in Poland at the age of 85, his wife Malgosia Keach said in a statement released through a representative. The cause was complications from a serious heart condition and heart failure.

The veteran actor, born in Savannah, Georgia, in 1941 and raised in Southern California, was classically trained at the Yale School of Drama and studied on a Fulbright scholarship at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He became widely recognized for portraying tough, outspoken characters, most notably the private detective Mike Hammer in the 1980s and 1990s.

Keach’s film work included the outlaw Frank James in "The Long Riders" and a comedic turn as Sgt. Stedenko in "Up in Smoke." He also performed Shakespeare on stage, repeatedly playing Hamlet and describing Macbeth as his most challenging role.

"Anybody who has an experience like that certainly carries it with them," Keach told NPR’s Scott Simon in 1986, reflecting on a 1984 drug-possession arrest that resulted in a six-month prison sentence.

"Of all the major tragic roles in the canon, it's probably the most difficult," he said to NPR’s Robert Siegel in 1995, discussing his portrayal of Macbeth.

In later years Keach appeared in television series such as NBC’s "Crowded" and in films like Alexander Payne’s "Nebraska" (2013). He also narrated documentaries for National Geographic and PBS, maintaining an active career across multiple media for more than five decades.