Actor became famous for “Reservoir Dogs” and “Kill Bill”
Michael Madsen, known for portraying violent and intense characters in Quentin Tarantino’s films, died on Thursday (3/7) at the age of 67. The actor was found dead at his home in Malibu following an emergency call. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Madsen was declared dead at 8:25 a.m.
The preliminary cause was indicated as cardiac arrest, according to Liz Rodriguez, the actor’s representative at EMR Media Entertainment.
Career marked by tough roles and memorable lines
Madsen became immortalized for his performance as the sadistic Mr. Blonde in “Reservoir Dogs” (1992), Quentin Tarantino’s first feature film. He also appeared in other films directed by the filmmaker, such as “Kill Bill: Volume 1” (2003), “Kill Bill: Volume 2” (2004), “The Hateful Eight” (2015), and “Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood” (2019), in which he portrayed variations of rough, silent, and potentially dangerous men.
He turned down the role of Vincent Vega in “Pulp Fiction” (1994)—which eventually went to John Travolta—because he had already committed to another project at the time: Lawrence Kasdan’s “Wyatt Earp.”
Over a career spanning more than four decades, he has accumulated 346 acting credits on IMDb, appearing in titles such as “WarGames” (1983), “Thelma & Louise” (1991), “Free Willy” (1993), “Donnie Brasco” (1997), “007 – A View to a Kill” (2002), “Sin City” (2005), and “Scary Movie 4” (2006). In the past five years, he has participated in dozens of low-budget independent productions.
Sometimes, you have to pay the mortgage.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2018, Madsen acknowledged the contrast between his fame and his everyday life. “Celebrity is a double-edged sword. There are many blessings, but also a lot of heavy burden,” he said. “I think I’ve been more convincing than I should have been. I think people really do fear me. They see me and say, ‘Wow, it’s that guy!'”
He also spoke about the need to accept projects that are below ideal. “Sometimes people forget that you need to pay the mortgage, you need to put your kids through school. You can’t always choose the best script. You end up doing something you should have perhaps refused, and you have to live with it for the rest of your life.”
What did Tarantino write about him?
In addition to cinema, Madsen pursued a parallel career as a poet and photographer. His upcoming book, “Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems,” is scheduled for next year and will feature a preface by Quentin Tarantino. In it, the director wrote: “For me, the real journey that Michael, the writer, explores is what it means to be a man in a world where the notions of masculinity with which some of us grew up are barely remembered anymore. But if everyone embarked on the hero’s journey, wouldn’t everyone be a hero?”
It began on television and on stage
Son of a firefighter and an Emmy-winning documentarian, Madsen was born in Chicago on September 25, 1957. He began in theater, joining the Steppenwolf Theatre Company cast, where he was directed by John Malkovich in “Of Mice and Men.” He even worked as a mechanic in Beverly Hills before landing his first television roles, appearing on the series “St. Elsewhere,” prior to entering cinema with the film “WarGames.”
His first encounter with Tarantino happened during auditions for “Reservoir Dogs,” as he recalled in an interview with The Independent. “I had never met Quentin before. I walked into a room at the Fox studio, he was standing there with his arms crossed and Harvey [Keitel] was sitting on the couch, barefoot.” Although he wanted to play Mr. Pink, a role that went to Steve Buscemi, Tarantino convinced him to take on the part of the sadistic Mr. Blonde.
Family, losses and controversies
Madsen was married to DeAnna since the early 2000s and had seven children. One of them, Hudson, who was the godson of director Quentin Tarantino, died in 2022 at age 26 under suspected suicide. The actor was also the brother of Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen and maintained a close relationship with his mother, Elaine, who survived her son.
In recent years, the low-budget films have been accompanied by controversies. The actor was even arrested last year, accused of domestic violence by his wife, and released a few hours later after paying a $20,000 bail. He was also detained twice for driving under the influence in the Malibu area, in 2012 and 2019, being required to go through a rehabilitation program, and returned to the police station in 2022, accused of trespassing by the owner of the beach house he was renting in Malibu.
Attorney and personal friend Perry Wander mourned the loss: “Michael was one of the greatest American actors. His screen presence was masculine, but he was a sweet, sensitive man who wrote incredible poetry and had several books published. He was my closest friend and client for 20 years. I am devastated. I know his soul is at peace.”