‘Reservoir Dogs’ And ‘Donnie Brasco’ Star Michael Madsen Dead At 67
Legendary character actor Michael Madsen, who blazed a trail through cinema since the early 1980s with intense, unforgettable performances in such films as The Getaway, Mulholland Falls, and Quentin Taratino’s Kill Bill movies died in his Malibu home last Thursday, NBC Los Angeles has confirmed. He was 67 years old.
Madsen was pronounced dead at the scene when deputies answered a 911 call to his residence on Thursday morning when he was found unresponsive, according to his representatives and the authorities. The cause of death appears to be from cardiac arrest, and no foul play is expected.
“In the last two years Michael Madsen has been doing some incredible work with independent film including upcoming feature films ‘Resurrection Road’, ‘Concessions’ and ‘Cookbook for Southern Housewives,’ and was really looking forward to this next chapter in his life,” managers Susan Ferris and Ron Smith, and publicist Liz Rodriguez said in a joint statement (per NBC LA).
“Michael was also preparing to release a new book called ‘Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems,’ currently being edited. Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many,” the statement added.
Native to Chicago’s Southwest side, Michael’s father was a firefighter for the CFD, and his mother was an artist and author. His acting career began when he enrolled in the Steppenwolf Theatre, under the mentorship of fellow film great, John Malkovich. His debut was in the 1982 drama, Against All Hope, and a small role in the underrated tech-thriller, WarGames (1983).
Madsen continued to land minor parts in movies like The Natural (1984), Thelma & Louise (1991), and The Doors (also 1991), but it was his role as trigger-happy, ear-slicing maniac Vic Vega (aka Mr. Blonde) in Quentin Taratino’s influential directorial debut, Reservoir Dogs (1992), that seared him into the minds of filmgoers.
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However, he wasn’t the only talent to spring from that household. His younger sister, Virginia Madsen (Dune, Candyman, The Rainmaker), began her acting career around the same time as Michael, and she has earned several awards, along with an Oscar nomination for her performance in the 2005 film, Sideways. Both have been completely supportive of each other over the decades, and she spoke to Variety about her loss.
“My brother Michael has left the stage,” she wrote in her statement. “He was thunder and velvet. Mischief wrapped in tenderness. A poet disguised as an outlaw. A father, a son, a brother – etched in contradiction, tempered by love that left its mark.”
“We’re not mourning a public figure,” she continued. “We’re not mourning a myth — but flesh and blood and ferocious heart. Who stormed through life loud, brilliant, and half on fire. Who leaves us echoes – gruff, brilliant, unrepeatable – half legend, half lullaby.”
After gaining notoriety in Reservoir Dogs, Madsen starred in other hits like the more kid-friendly Free Willy (1993), the more adult-friendly Species (1995), Die Another Day (2002), Sin City (2005), and also reuniting with Tarantino for The Hateful Eight (2015), and Once Upon A Time in Hollywood (2019).
Along with acting on the big screen, Michael played roles on television in shows like Cagney & Lacey, Miami Vice, Quantum Leap, 24, The Mob Doctor, the 2010 reboot of Hawaii Five-0, and he even played Lieutenant Harvey Bullock in the 2021 fan film, Batman: Dying is Easy. He also did voice work on video games such as GTA III, Narc, Yakuza, and Call of Duty: Black Ops II.
Known for being the rugged character in his films, but with layers of sensitivity behind his steely blue eyes, Madsen was no different offscreen. Despite carrying a tough guy reputation in the real world, there was more to him than his hard exterior. He wrote poetry which were published in collections such as Burning in Paradise, Expecting Rain, Signs of Life (includes photography), American Badass, and Eat The Worm.
Michael Madsen was a man of charisma, complexity, and tenderness. With him passes another age of film that will never be recreated, and the world has now become a little less cool.
“I’ll miss our inside jokes,” Virginia Madsen concluded. “the sudden laughter, the sound of him. I’ll miss the boy he was before the legend; I miss my big brother. Thank you to everyone reaching out with love and memory. In time, we’ll share how we plan to celebrate his life – but for now, we stay close, and let the silence say what words can’t.”
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