Steven Keats

Steven Keats (February 6, 1945 – May 8, 1994) was an American actor who appeared in such films as Death Wish (as Charles Bronson's character's son-in-law), Black Sunday and the Chuck Norris thriller Silent Rage.

Early life and education
Keats was born in the Bronx as Steven Paul Keitz, to Francis (née Rebold) and Daniel David Keitz. His father was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to Polish Jewish parents from Warsaw. His mother was born in New York, also to a Polish Jewish family. Keats was a popular and prolific actor of the 1970s.

He grew up in Canarsie, Brooklyn, New York, graduated from the New York School for the Performing Arts (now Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts). After serving a tour of duty in Vietnam with the Air Force from 1965–66, Keats attended the prestigious Yale School of Drama in 1969-70. He is the father of photographer and actor Thatcher Keats.

Career
Keats debuted on Broadway in the second cast of Oh! Calcutta! and appeared in over 80 films and TV shows. He was nominated for an Emmy in 1977 for his role as the ruthless, Great Depression-era entrepreneur Jay Blackman, who clawed his way to the top of the "rag trade", or clothing business, in the 1977 miniseries Seventh Avenue. He also portrayed Thomas Edison on the brink of inventing the electric light bulb in the science fiction TV series, Voyagers!.

His film career included roles in The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973), Death Wish (1974), The Gambler (1974), The Gumball Rally (1976), The Last Dinosaur (1977), Black Sunday (1977), The Ivory Ape (1980), Hangar 18 (1980), Silent Rage (1982), Turk 182 (1985), Badge of the Assassin (1985), and the 1982 TV-movie of the Norman Mailer book The Executioner's Song.

Keats' appeared in the 1975 film Hester Street. Set on New York City's Lower East Side of the 1890s, Keats played Jake Podkovnik (late of Russia), an assimilated "Amerikaner". He guest-starred on an episode of The A-Team, "Harder Than It Looks". He played Ed McClain on Another World and guest-starred as Nicholas Davis II on All My Children.

Death
On May 8, 1994, Keats was found dead in his apartment in Manhattan from a suicide.

Partial filmography

 * The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) - Jackie Brown
 * Death Wish (1974) - Jack Toby
 * The Gambler (1974) - Howie
 * Hester Street (1975) - Jake
 * Sky Riders (1976) - Rudy
 * The Gumball Rally (1976) - Kandinsky - Dodge Team
 * The Last Dinosaur (1977) - Chuck Wade
 * Black Sunday (1977) - Moshevsky
 * The American Success Company (1980) - Rick Duprez
 * Hangar 18 (1980) - Paul Bannister
 * Silent Rage (1982) - Dr. Philip Spires
 * Turk 182 (1985) - Jockamo
 * Badge of the Assassin (1985) - Harold Skelton, Defense Attorney
 * The Spring (1989) - Mark
 * Eternity (1990) - Tax Collector / Harold