His heart problems first became public in 2017, when he struggled through a play

Last updated: November 11, 2026 | 07:56

Stacy Keach died on Tuesday at his family home in Magdalenka, Poland, his wife Malgosia Keach said in a statement to People. He had lived with a serious heart condition for years and died of heart failure. She described him as a legendary actor loved by audiences worldwide, and also as her husband, her companion and the heart of their family.

The statement read, "It is with profound sadness and a broken heart that I announce the passing of my darling husband, Stacy Keach. After a long and difficult battle with a serious heart condition and heart failure, Stacy peacefully departed this world. He fought for so long, with extraordinary courage, determination and strength."

A detective he had waited a lifetime to play

Most television viewers will remember him for the trench coat. Keach first played Mickey Spillane’s private eye in the 1983 CBS television movie Murder Me, Murder You.…