Actor Michael Madsen, Known for ‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Kill Bill,’ Passes Away at 67

Michael Madsen, famous for his intense roles in Quentin Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs” and “Kill Bill,” has passed away at 67 in Malibu, California.

On Thursday morning, authorities found Madsen unresponsive at his Malibu residence. According to Christopher Jauregui from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, he was declared dead at the scene. His death is believed to be from natural causes, with no signs of foul play, and his manager Ron Smith mentioned cardiac arrest as the apparent reason.

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Spanning a career with over 300 appearances since the early ’80s, Madsen starred in numerous low-budget movies. However, his most iconic scene is likely his portrayal of Mr. Blonde in “Reservoir Dogs,” where he famously tortured a police officer to the tune of “Stuck in the Middle with You” by Stealers Wheel.

He would become a Tarantino regular, appearing in the “Kill Bill” films and “The Hateful Eight.”

“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,” his managers Smith and Susan Ferris and publicist Liz Rodriguez said in a statement. They added that he “was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.”

During a handprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in November 2020, Madsen reflected on his first visit to Hollywood in the early 1980s.

“I got out and I walked around and I looked and I wondered if there were someday some way that that was going to be a part of me. And I didn’t know because I didn’t know what I was going to do at that point with myself,” he said. “I could have been a bricklayer. I could have been an architect. I could have been a garbage man. I could have been nothing. But I got lucky. I got lucky as an actor.”

Madsen was born and raised in Chicago.

Steppenwolf co-founder Terry Kinney said in a statement, “I am heartbroken to hear of the passing of old friend Mike Madsen. Although I knew him years ago, it was very memorable, as he acted in a production of ‘Of Mice and Men’ which I directed. Michael was a car mechanic when we started rehearsals. He wrote long handwritten letters to me for years about how art saved his life. He was wonderful in that production and you could see his future success from the outset. He will be missed.”

ABC7 Chicago contributed to this report.