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SÃO PAULO, SP (UOL/FOLHAPRESS) – Michael Madsen died on Thursday afternoon (3) at age 67. He became immortalized as one of cinema’s most memorable villains through his performance as Mr. Blonde in “Reservoir Dogs” (1992), but behind the character’s sadistic coldness, the actor experienced deep discomfort during filming.
Known for his tough roles, Madsen was, in real life, a man averse to violence—and it was precisely this contradiction that made the process so challenging.
The peak of tension came during the scene in which Mr. Blonde tortures a police officer (played by Kirk Baltz), cutting off his ear to the tune of “Stuck in the Middle with You,” creating a shocking contrast between brutality and humor. The scene was extremely difficult for Madsen, who has already revealed that she hated filming it.
Madsen, who had just become a father, struggled to carry out the torture, especially when Baltz improvised the line “I have children at home.” According to the website WhatCulture, the unscripted line hit the actor hard. “The idea of killing a guy who could be me, a family man, almost paralyzed me,” Madsen revealed in later interviews.
The moment, now iconic, almost didn’t make it into the movie. Harvey Weinstein, the film’s producer, pushed to cut the scene, but Quentin Tarantino insisted on keeping it.
Mr. Blonde (also called Vic Vega, the brother of John Travolta’s character in “Pulp Fiction”) is the central antagonist of the film.
Although the movie avoids excessively bloody scenes, the psychological violence—especially in the torture of the police officer—was enough to shock audiences and critics. For Madsen, however, the legacy of the role came at a personal cost: “Fame is a double-edged knife. There are many blessings, but also many heavy things that come with it. I think it has a lot to do with the characters I’ve played. I think I was more believable than I should have been. I think people really fear me. They see me and say, ‘Holy shit, it’s that guy!'” he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018.
“But I’m not that guy. I’m just an actor. I’m a father, I have seven children. I’m married, I’ve been married for 20 years. When I’m not making a movie, I’m at home, in my pajamas, watching The Rifleman on TV, and if I’m lucky, my 12-year-old son makes me a cheeseburger,” said Michael Madsen in 2018.
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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
However, Madsen was arrested in August 2024 for domestic violence. The actor’s wife, DeAnna Madsen, told police that he pushed her and locked her out of the house. Police responded to a call at the actor’s home in Malibu, California.
Astro was released after paying a $20,000 (R$108,000) bail. In a statement sent to Variety magazine, his representatives said, “it was a disagreement between Michael and his wife, which we hope will be resolved positively for both.”
Michael Madsen and DeAnna Madsen were married since 1996. Before her, he was married to the actresses Jeannine Bisignano (from 1991 to 1995), with whom he has two sons, and Georganne LaPiere (from 1984 to 1988), sister of singer Cher.
MICHAEL MADSEN HAS DIED
Police were called and the actor was found unconscious at his home on Thursday morning in Malibu, USA. He suffered a cardiac arrest, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Representatives of Madsen emphasized that the artist had been involved with independent films in recent years, and that he was “eager for this chapter” in his life. “Michael was also preparing to release a new book titled ‘Tears for My Father: Thoughts and Outlaw Poems’ (free translation),” they stated in a note sent to TMZ.
He was married three times and had six children, including actor Christian Madsen.
CAREER
Madsen’s career began in the 1980s. He has made dozens of films, but became best known for his collaborations with Quentin Tarantino, a filmmaker who revolutionized the depiction of violence in graphic ways.
Among other successful productions are “Thelma & Louise” (1991), “Donnie Brasco” (1997), “Free Willy” (1993), “The Hateful Eight” (2015), and “Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood” (2019).
Madsen was actually cast in the role of John Travolta in Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” (1995), but he dropped out to appear in “Wyatt Earp.” According to NBC, it was a decision he later regretted.
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