American actor Stacy Keach, one of the most respected performers in American film, television and theatre, has died at the age of 85, with his wife Malgosia Tomassi Keach confirming his death.
Keach died at his home in Magdalenka, Poland on Tuesday, following a prolonged battle with a serious heart condition and heart failure.
He was best known for his portrayal of prison warden Henry Pope in the popular crime drama “Prison Break.”
His passing marks the loss of a distinguished performer whose contributions to the entertainment industry extended across generations, genres and continents.
Born Walter Stacy Keach Jr. on June 2, 1941, in Savannah, Georgia, United States, he grew up in an entertainment-oriented family. His was an actor, director and producer, while his mother, Mary Cain Peckham, was also an actress.
The actor began building his reputation through theatre, particularly classical productions and Shakespearean performances.
He left behind a crazy quilt of roles, playing a stoner cop in the Cheech and Chong movies, King Lear on stage and also narrating “World’s Most Amazing Videos” on TV. He won a Golden Globe playing Ernest Hemingway in a six-hour miniseries, for which he gained 35 pounds (16 kilograms).
Keach earned a Tony Award nomination for his portrayal of Buffalo Bill in the Broadway play “Indians,” and played Edmund opposite Lee J. Cobb in “King Lear,” also on Broadway. He also headed the national touring company cast of “Frost/Nixon,” portraying the fallen president.
He was the narrator in Sir Ridley Scott’s directorial debut, 1977 historical drama movie “The Duellists,” which featured Harvey Keitel and Albert Finney.
In June 2017, he suffered a heart attack while performing in the theatrical production “Pamplona” in Chicago, where the event was cancelled for him to receive medical attention.