American actor Stacy Keach, the voice behind The Simpsons, dies aged 85
American actor Stacy Keach, who voiced the head of Duff Brewery in The Simpsons, died on November 10 at the age of 85, Variety reports.
He died at his family home in Magdalenka, Poland, following a prolonged struggle with a serious heart condition and heart failure, his wife, Małgosia Tomassi Keach, confirmed.
In The Simpsons, Keach voiced Howard K. Duff, the wealthy owner of Springfield‘s fictional Duff Beer company and its baseball team, the Springfield Isotopes. He first appeared in the 2001 episode Hungry, Hungry Homer, in which Homer stages a hunger strike to prevent the team from moving to Albuquerque.
Keach returned to the role in several episodes over the following years, including Waiting for Duffman in 2015. He also voiced Don Bookner, a former colleague of Homer, in Bart’s New Friend.
His wife paid tribute to his life and career, describing him as a devoted husband and a performer admired by audiences worldwide.
«His passing leaves an immeasurable emptiness in our lives. But his extraordinary spirit, his unforgettable voice and the love he gave so generously will remain with us forever,» she said.
From Shakespeare to Hollywood
Born in 1941, in Savannah, Georgia, Keach grew up in an acting family. His best-known live-action role was private detective Mike Hammer, whom he portrayed in television series and films beginning in the 1980s.
Keach also appeared in American History X, The Bourne Legacy, Nebraska and Prison Break, in which he played prison warden Henry Pope.
In 1989, he won a Golden Globe for portraying writer Ernest Hemingway in a television miniseries.
His theatre work included Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear, as well as a Tony-nominated performance in Indians.
