Actor Remembered for His Intense Performances and as a Poet
Actor Michael Madsen, known for his distinctive gravelly voice and tough-guy roles in Quentin Tarantino films, died Thursday at his home in Malibu. He was 67.
Deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched to Madsen’s residence following a 911 call and found him unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:25 a.m., according to law enforcement officials.
The sheriff’s department reported that no foul play is suspected, and Madsen’s death is believed to have been due to natural causes.
His manager, Ron Smith, later confirmed that the actor died of cardiac arrest and stated in a shared statement with the actor’s publicist, “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. Michael was also preparing to release a new book called Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems, currently being edited.”
His sister, actor Virginia Madsen, issued a statement on behalf of their family on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DLqFBQjSbM3/?hl=en
Over the course of four decades, Madsen appeared in more than 300 films and television projects, often portraying villains or morally ambiguous antiheroes. He achieved cult status with his chilling portrayal of Mr. Blonde in Tarantino’s 1992 crime thriller Reservoir Dogs, which featured a now-infamous scene of Madsen torturing a police officer while dancing to “Stuck in the Middle with You.”
Madsen went on to become a recurring presence in Tarantino’s cinematic universe, with roles in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, The Hateful Eight, and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. Outside of Tarantino’s films, Madsen appeared in a wide range of productions, from the family-friendly Free Willy and its sequel to numerous independent and low-budget films.
In 2020, Madsen left his hand and footprints in cement at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood
