ALBAWABA - Actor Michael Madsen, known for his roles in "Reservoir Dogs" and "Kill Bill," has died at the age of 67.
Madsen's publicist, Liz Rodriguez, told ABC News on Thursday that the actor was found unconscious at his home in Malibu, California, on Thursday morning. Rodriguez believes that Madsen died of a heart attack.
"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," Rodriguez said in a statement also written by Madsen's managers, Susan Ferris and Ron Smith. "Michael was also preparing to release a new book called 'Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems,' currently being edited."
Actors Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Madsen (Photo by Jason Kempin / Getty Images via AFP)
The statement continued, "Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood's most iconic actors, who will be missed by many."
His IMDB page says that Madsen had a long and successful career in Hollywood that lasted many years and included parts in more than 300 movies, some of which are still being made.
Virginia Madsen, Madsen's sister and an actor, posted a collage of pictures of her brother on Instagram on Thursday.
"I love you," she wrote under the picture.
Michael Madsen was born on September 25, 1957. His first lead part was in the 1982 movie "Against All Hope," which was directed by Edward T. McDougal and was about an alcoholic man who asks a reverend for help.
In the following years, he got more parts on TV and in movies. These included the 1985 TV show "Our Family Honor" and the 1991 movie "Thelma and Louise," which starred Brad Pitt, Susan Sarandon, and Geena Davis.
Madsen played Mr. Blonde/Vic in his first movie, "Reservoir Dogs," which was directed by Quentin Tarantino and came out in 1992. The movie was about a failed gold theft and also had Tim Roth and Harvey Keitel in lead roles.
When asked about being in "Reservoir Dogs" 25 years after it came out, Madsen told ABC News that he felt "very lucky and very blessed" to be in it.
"I had a great director, and I had a great script," he told me. "I had no idea what to do." I was really young. It was the first picture I ever took. "[Tarantino], let me make up a lot of stuff."
When asked about the famous dance scene he performed in the movie "Stuck in the Middle with You," Madsen said he "improvised it spontaneously."
"Honestly, I didn't know what to do," he stated. "And Tarantino never made me practice it because I was scared of it." My inability to dance posed a challenge. And I remembered a Jimmy Cagney movie I saw about college or something. In it, he does this little dance, and I thought of it right before I had to do it. That's why I was thankful that Quentin let me get away with it. I didn't think it would work.
His part as Mr. Blonde was the first of many funny bad guys he would play in Tarantino movies, such as Budd (a.k.a. Sidewinder) in both "Kill Bill" movies, Sheriff Hackett on "Bounty Law," the show within a film in "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood," and Joe Gage in "The Hateful Eight."
Julie Dreyfus, actor Michael Madsen, director Quentin Tarantino, actress Uma Thurman(Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP)
In 2018, Madsen talked to The Hollywood Reporter about his acting career and the parts he's played. He described his fame as a complex and multifaceted experience.
"There are many blessings but also many heavy things that come with it," he added. "I believe that the roles I've played have significantly contributed to this." I believe I've been more honest than I should have been. I believe that many people are scared of me. When they see me, they think, "Holy crap, that person!" I'm not that person, though. I just play a part. I'm a dad; I have seven kids. I'm married and have been for 20 years.
"I'm home in my pajamas watching 'The Rifleman' on TV, and I hope my 12-year-old is making me a cheeseburger while I'm not making a movie," he said. I acknowledge that I've caused some issues in the past, but it's important to move past them and continue forward.
Three times, Madsen was married. The first marriage was to Georganne LaPiere, an actor who worked on "General Hospital" from 1984 to 1988. His next marriage was to actress Jeannine Bisignano in 1991. They split up in 1995 and had two boys together, Christian and Max.
Madsen married actress DeAnna Madsen in 1996 and had three boys with her. Their names are Calvin, Luke, and Hudson Madsen.
Hudson, who was 26 years old at the time, killed himself in 2022, which was a terrible loss for Madsen. This was after Madsen's son had died. He told The Los Angeles Times that he was trying to "make sense" of it.
