Michael Madsen has died at the age of 67. Madsen is remembered for his work in Quentin Tarantino movies like Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill: Vol. 2. His manager, Ron Smith, shared news of Madsen’s passing, saying that he passed away from cardiac arrest. His rep, Liz Rodriguez, also confirmed the news. The news comes as a shock for fans who have loved Madsen’s work spanning from the 80s and beyond.
Madsen’s career is one that fans love to talk about. His role as Mr. Blonde in Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs is a stand out performance in the film which has heavy hitters like Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, and Tarantino himself. But he also starred in classics that fans revisit time and time again. He had roles in Ridley Scott’s Thelma & Louise, he played Sonny Black in Mike Newell‘s Donnie Brasco, and most recently, he reunited with Tarantino to star in the 2019 film Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood.
Whether it was his work with Tarantino or any number of his impressive 346 acting credits in IMDb, Madsen was an actor that people knew, recognized, and loved. With his impressive line-up of films, there is a lot to love about his career and it is one that fans will remember him for.
Michael Madsen Had Quite the Career but Was a Family Man
Back in 2018, Madsen did an interview with The Hollywood Reporter‘s Scott Roxborough where the two talked about fame and the amount of work that Madsen had done throughout his career. Madsen explained how “fame is a two-edged sword” but that there is a lot to both love and hate about it. “There are a lot of blessings but also a lot of heavy things that come with it. I think it has a lot to do with the characters I’ve played. I think I’ve been more believable than I should have been. I think people really fear me. They see me and go: ‘Holy shit, there’s that guy!’”
One of the beautiful parts about the interview is how Madsen spoke about his family and his life outside of the public eye. Madsen shared that he wasn’t “that guy” people thought he was in the movies but that he was a father to seven children. He told the publication “When I’m not making a movie, I’m home, in pajamas, watching The Rifleman on TV, hopefully with my 12-year-old making me a cheeseburger. I sure as hell had my rabble-rousing days, but sooner or later you have to get over that and move on.”
We send our condolences to Madsen’s friends and family.
