Michael Madsen, the actor known for appearances in several Quentin Tarantino films, including “Reservoir Dogs,” “Kill Bill Vol. 2” and “The Hateful Eight,” has died, his manager told CBS News. He was 67.
Madsen apparently went into cardiac arrest and was found unresponsive in his home in Malibu, California, on Thursday morning, manager Ron Smith said.
“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,” managers Susan Ferris and Ron Smith and publicist Liz Rodriguez said in a statement.
“Michael was also preparing to release a new book called Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems currently being edited. Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many,” they added.
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Originally from Chicago, Madsen appeared in more than 300 movies and TV shows throughout his more than four decades in Hollywood, according to IMDB.
He began his career at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theater.
“I am heartbroken to hear of the passing of old friend Mike Madsen,” Steppenwolf co-founder Terry Kinney said in a statement. “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.”
He is perhaps best known for his role as Mr. Blonde in Quentin Tarantino’s directorial debut “Reservoir Dogs,” and the iconic scene in which he tortures a police officer while the 1973 Stealers Wheel hit “Stuck in the Middle with You” plays in the background.
While usually not playing the lead role, his unmistakable gruff voice made him a memorable presence in smaller roles and even bit parts in films like “Sin City,” “Donnie Brasco” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
Madsen has also published several collections of poetry, including “Burning in Paradise” and “Expecting Rain.”
“His work reflects the same gritty realism and emotional undercurrent that defines his acting,” his representatives said in a statement. “In addition to acting and writing, he is an accomplished photographer and has produced a number of independent projects.”
During a speech at his handprint ceremony at Los Angeles’ famous TCL Chinese Theatre in 2020, Madsen reflected, “I could have been a bricklayer. I could have been an architect. I could have been a garbageman. I could have been nothing. But I got lucky. I got lucky as an actor.”
Madsen also referenced “mistakes” he had made in his life during that speech, which was mainly addressed to his wife, DeAnna Morgan. Madsen pleaded no contest to a DUI charge in 2019, which had come within 10 years of another DUI charge. He was sentenced to four days in jail and five years probation, CBS News Los Angeles reported.
He received a $500 citation for a misdemeanor after allegedly trespassing on a property in 2022, People reported at the time, which came just a month after his son, Hudson, died by suicide at 26. Two years later, he was arrested on a charge of misdemeanor domestic battery and later released after what his representative said was a “disagreement between Michael and his wife,” People reported.
Madsen and Morgan had two other sons, Calvin and Luke. Madsen had two other sons from a previous marriage to Jeannine Bisignano, Max and Christian, both of whom are also actors.
