Stacy Keach facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stacy Keach
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Keach in 2007
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| Born |
Walter Stacy Keach Jr.
June 2, 1941 Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
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| Citizenship |
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| Education |
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1964–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Małgosia Tomassi
(m. 1986) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | James Keach (brother) |
Walter Stacy Keach Jr. (born June 2, 1941) is an American actor. He has been active in theatre, film, and television since the 1960s. Keach first became known for his work in Off-Broadway plays. He is still a very important actor in American theatre, especially for his roles in Shakespearean plays.
He has won many awards for his acting. These include four Drama Desk Awards and two Helen Hayes Awards. He was also nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.
In movies, he was praised for playing a boxer in Fat City (1972). He also played Sergeant Stedenko in the Cheech & Chong films Up in Smoke (1978) and Nice Dreams (1981). Other well-known films include American History X (1998) and The Bourne Legacy (2012).
On television, Keach is famous for playing private detective Mike Hammer. This was in the series Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (1984–1987). He was nominated for a Golden Globe for this role. He also narrated the crime show American Greed (2007–present). He had regular roles in shows like Prison Break (2005–2007) and Blue Bloods (2016–2024). He won a Golden Globe for playing Ernest Hemingway in the TV miniseries Hemingway (1988).
Stacy Keach is part of the Theatre Hall of Fame. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2019. His father, Stacy Keach Sr., was a theatre director. His older brother, James Keach, is also an actor.
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Early Life and Education
Stacy Keach was born in Savannah, Georgia. His mother, Mary Cain, was an actress. His father, Stacy Keach Sr., was a theatre director and actor.
When he was born, Keach had a cleft lip. He had many operations as a child. As an adult, he often wears a mustache to hide the scars. He now helps the Cleft Palate Foundation. He works to make sure insurance covers surgeries for others.
He finished high school in 1959. He then earned two degrees from the University of California, Berkeley in 1963. He studied English and Dramatic Art. In 1966, he earned a master's degree from Yale School of Drama. He also studied in London as a Fulbright Scholar. While in London, he met Laurence Olivier, a famous actor he admired.
Acting Career Highlights
Theatre Performances
Keach played the main role in MacBird! in 1966. This was an Off-Broadway play. In 1967, he acted with Morgan Freeman in The Niggerlovers. Freeman has said that Keach taught him a lot about acting. Keach first appeared on Broadway in 1969. He played Buffalo Bill in Indians. Early in his career, he was called Stacy Keach Jr. to tell him apart from his father.
Keach has won many awards for his stage work. These include Obie Awards and Drama Desk Awards. In the early 1980s, he starred in the musical Barnum. He played the lead role of P. T. Barnum. He also won Helen Hayes Awards for his roles in Richard III and Macbeth.
In 2006, Keach played the main role in Shakespeare's King Lear. He played Merlin in the musical Camelot in 2008. He also played Richard M. Nixon in the play Frost/Nixon. Keach is a founder of L.A. Theatre Works. He has played many lead roles with this group.
In 2017, Keach was set to play Ernest Hemingway in a play called Pamplona. He had a mild heart attack on stage during previews. The show was canceled so he could recover. He returned to the role a year later in 2018.
Film Roles
Keach played a police officer in The New Centurions (1972). That same year, he starred in Fat City, a boxing movie. He was considered for a role in The Exorcist (1973).
He narrated a Formula One racing movie in 1973. He was known for playing Sgt. Stedenko in Up in Smoke and Nice Dreams. He also played Barabbas in Jesus of Nazareth. In 1978, he was in Slave of the Cannibal God. This film became a "video nasty" cult favorite. He played Frank James in The Long Riders (1980). His brother James played Jesse James.
Keach starred with Jamie Lee Curtis in the thriller Roadgames (1981). He played a white supremacist in American History X (1998). In Oliver Stone's film W. (2008), Keach played a Texas preacher.
He voiced Skipper Riley in the animated film Planes. He played this role again in Planes: Fire & Rescue. In 2012, Keach had a role in The Bourne Legacy. He also appeared in the film Nebraska (2013). In the 2017 film Gotti, Keach played Neil Dellacroce.
Television Appearances
Keach's first regular TV role was Lieutenant Ben Logan in Caribe in 1975. He played Barabbas in Jesus of Nazareth in 1977. He is best known for playing Mike Hammer. This was in the CBS series Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (1984 to 1987). He returned to this role in a new series from 1997 to 1998. In 1988, he starred as Ernest Hemingway in a TV movie.
From 2000 to 2002, he played Ken Titus in the sitcom Titus. Other actors on the show enjoyed working with him. Keach also lent his voice to The Simpsons and Batman Beyond. He had a recurring role as Warden Henry Pope in Prison Break.
In 2006, he was in the miniseries Blackbeard. In 2011, Keach played "Pops" in the boxing drama Lights Out. He appeared in Brooklyn Nine-Nine in 2013. From 2015 to 2019, he played Cassius Pride in NCIS: New Orleans. He also appeared in Blue Bloods as Archbishop Kevin Kearns. From 2017 to 2020, he played Joe Burns in Man with a Plan. He also played Robert Vesco in The Blacklist.
Narrator Roles
Keach has narrated many shows. These include Nova and National Geographic. From 1989 to 1992, he hosted Missing Reward. He was also the voice for Haunted Lives: True Ghost Stories.
Since 1999, he has narrated World's Most Amazing Videos. He also hosts The Twilight Zone radio series. Keach is the voice of the CNBC series American Greed. He has also narrated for the PBS series American Experience.
In 2008, Keach played Mike Hammer again in radio plays. He also read many of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer novels for audiobooks. He has voiced characters in audio versions of the New Testament and The Word of Promise. In 2014, Keach became the official voice of The Opie and Anthony Channel on SiriusXM radio.
Music Contributions
Keach is a talented pianist and composer. He sang backing vocals on Judy Collins' song "Amazing Grace". He also helped write a song called "Easy Times". He has composed music for films and for the Mike Hammer audio series.
Personal Life
Stacy Keach is married to Małgosia Tomassi. They have two adopted children, Shannon and Karolina. In 2015, Keach became a citizen of Poland.
His brother, James, is also an actor and director. Stacy Keach is a Roman Catholic.
Honors and Awards
In 2015, Keach was added to the American Theater Hall of Fame. In 2019, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
He has won many awards for his acting. These include:
- Drama Desk Awards for MacBird!, Indians, Long Day's Journey into Night, and Hamlet.
- A Golden Globe Award for his role in Hemingway.
- Helen Hayes Awards for Frost/Nixon and King Lear.
- A Hollywood Film Award for the movie Gold.
- The Mary Pickford Award from the Satellite Awards in 2019.
He has also received lifetime achievement awards from film festivals.
Images for kids
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Keach in 2007
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Keach in 1969 (Central Park, New York City)
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Keach as Mike Hammer and Tanya Roberts as Velda in Murder Me, Murder You in 1983
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Keach's star at the Orpheum Theatre, 2010
See also
In Spanish: Stacy Keach para niños
