Subscribe to Folha now and get unlimited access to real-time news, 150 columns, and exclusive newsletters! Exclusive offer, don’t miss out!
SÃO PAULO, SP (FOLHAPRESS) – Michael Madsen, an actor known for his roles in director Quentin Tarantino’s films such as “Reservoir Dogs,” died on Thursday (3rd) at age 67. He was found unresponsive at his home in the morning by his manager Ron Smith, who believes the cause was a heart attack.
“Over the past two years, Michael Madsen had been doing incredible work with independent films, including the upcoming features ‘Resurrection Road,’ ‘Concessions,’ and ‘Cookbook for Southern Housewives,’ and was truly excited about this next chapter in his life. Michael was also preparing to release a new book titled ‘Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems,’ which is currently being edited,” stated Madsen’s representatives, Susan Ferris and Smith, and publicist Liz Rodriguez in a press release.
Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be greatly missed by many.
Born in 1957, the actor followed in his mother’s footsteps—writer and filmmaker Elaine Madsen—and established his career through films primarily rooted in the crime and suspense genres. He also became known for portraying villains who combined ruthless behavior with melancholy.
After starting his acting career with the Steppenwolf Theater company in Chicago, he landed his first role in the 1983 film “WarGames” and appeared in various productions throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, including a role in the acclaimed film “Thelma & Louise.”
He lived his first major role in 1993, portraying the character Mr. Blonde in Tarantino’s first feature film, “Reservoir Dogs.”
The movie follows a group of criminals who come together after a failed bank robbery attempt. Madsen shared the cast with actors Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, and Edward Bunker—not to mention a brief appearance by Quentin Tarantino himself.
In one of the film’s most memorable sequences, Madsen dances around a kidnapped officer and cuts off his ear with a knife to the sound of “Stuck in the Middle With You” by Stealer Wheel.
The artist was also in the classic “Free Willy” and in 1984 participated in an episode of the famous TV series “Miami Vice”. Ten years later, he co-starred with Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman, who died in February, in the western “Wyatt Earp”.
Madsen would collaborate with Tarantino again in 2003 and 2004, when the first and second parts of the action saga “Kill Bill” arrived in theaters.
He played a failed hitman in the two chapters of the story starring Uma Thurman, in which an assassin decides to take revenge on her ex-lover and former boss. One year later, the actor participated in “Sin City,” an adaptation of Frank Miller’s comics directed by the author and filmmaker Robert Rodriguez.
The partnership between the artist and Tarantino would resume in 2015, when Madsen portrayed one of the suspects in “The Hateful Eight.” The western follows an unlikely group, including prisoners, killers, and a sheriff, who gather in a cabin during a blizzard, sparking a series of tensions.
In 2019, he participated in the last feature film released, so far, by Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood…”, when he collaborated with the filmmaker one final time.
Madsen has appeared in over 300 titles, and his career also includes films such as “The Experience,” “Donnie Brasco,” “The Doors,” and “007: A View to a Kill.” He has made guest appearances on the TV series “CSI: Miami,” “Hawaii Five-0,” and “24 Hours.”
He also developed a career as a poet, having published works such as “Burning in Paradise,” “Expecting Rain,” and a book that was still set to be released, “Tears for My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems.”
In 2024, Madsen was arrested for domestic violence after his wife, DeAnna Madsen, called the police and accused him of pushing her and locking her out of the house. He was released after posting a $20,000 bail. At the time, his representatives stated that the incident had been nothing more than a “disagreement between Michael and his wife.”
The actor was married three times and had six children throughout his life, including actor Christian Madsen, from films such as “Palo Alto” and “Divergent.”
About The Author
