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Michael Madsen, the longtime actor best known for starring in Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill Vol. 1, has passed away. He was 67.
Reports from local sources indicate that Madsen was discovered unresponsive at his residence in Malibu on Thursday, July 3. According to NBC News, the actor passed away due to cardiac arrest, as stated by his manager Ron Smith.
Smith released a joint statement alongside Madsen’s manager Susan Ferris and publicist Liz Rodriguez.
“Over the past two years, Michael Madsen has been engaged in remarkable projects with independent films, including upcoming releases like Resurrection Road, Concessions, and Cookbook for Southern Housewives. He was eagerly anticipating this new phase in his career,” according to a statement shared with NBC4 Los Angeles. “Michael was also working on a new book titled Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems, which is currently in the editing process. Michael Madsen was a quintessential Hollywood figure who will be greatly missed.”
Madsen has amassed numerous credited roles since beginning his career in 1982, featuring in films such as Sin City, Thelma & Louise, Donnie Brasco, WarGames, among others. He also starred in the 1991 film The Doors alongside the late Val Kilmer, who passed away in April.
But some of Madsen’s most notable work came from his frequent collaborations with Oscar-winning director Quentin Tarantino including The Hateful Eight, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Kill Bill: Vol. 2, and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.
Tarantino also reportedly approached Madsen to also star in Pulp Fiction as Vincent Vega, a role that famously went to John Travolta. Madsen had to turn down the role because he was committed to starring in Wyatt Earp, but he has since praised Travolta’s casting.
Tarantino was also the godfather to Madsen’s son, Hudson Madsen, who passed away in 2022 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 26.
Madsen’s legendary career was captured in the 2023 documentary American Badass: A Michael Madsen Retrospective, which included input from Tarantino, Travolta, and more.
