Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill star Michael Madsen dies aged 67
He is believed to have died of natural causes and Madsen's manager Ron Smith said cardiac arrest was the apparent cause.
Madsen's career spanned more than 300 credits stretching back to the early 1980s, many in low-budget films.
But his most memorable screen moment may have been the sadistic torture of a captured police officer — while dancing to Stealers Wheel's Stuck In The Middle With You — as Mr Blonde in 1992's Reservoir Dogs.
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 some day 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.'
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Michael Madsen's shell-shocked son and estranged wife rush to Reservoir Dogs star's home after his death at 67
Michael Madsen's heartbroken family rushed to the late actor's Malibu home on Thursday just hours after his shocking passing at age 67. The Reservoir Dogs star was found 'unresponsive' inside his residence early Thursday morning, with his manager reporting 'cardiac arrest' as the cause of death. Madsen's estranged wife DeAnna, 64 — who he accused of driving their 26-year-old son Hudson to suicide — looked shell-shocked in photos obtained by as she arrived at the house they once shared. A brunette man, who looked to be Madsen's son Max, 31, appeared to console his longtime stepmom DeAnna as she spoke to him in the driveway. Standing beside them was Madsen's eldest son Christian, 35, who hid his grief behind a pair of dark-tinted sunglasses. After connecting with DeAnna, the two brothers, who were born during Madsen's relationship with ex-wife Jeannine Bisignano, 68, ventured around their late father's property together. Madsen's youngest son Luke, 19, was also spotted at the scene. Madsen's youngest son Luke, 19, was also spotted at the scene The teenager, donning a cowboy hat, was photographed exiting the home's garage as a black Chrysler vehicle, seemingly belonging to the coroner, backed into it. Luke is one of three sons — including Kalvin, 28, who was not pictured at the house on Thursday, and the late Hudson, 26 — Madsen shares with wife DeAnna. An eyewitness told that Luke eventually left the Malibu home with his brothers Max and Christian in a black Ford Bronco. A white Range Rover was also pictured in the driveway on Thursday. It's unclear if DeAnna is still at the residence. Madsen was found 'unresponsive' at his Malibu home early Thursday morning, can confirm. Deputies responded to the Los Angeles County home after a 911 call early Thursday. Madsen was pronounced dead at the home. The star's manager claimed to that Madsen had died from 'cardiac arrest.' His lawyer said the actor - known for his roles in Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill - was battling an alcohol addiction before he tragically died. Hours after his death, obtained exclusive photos of Madsen's heartbroken family — including his estranged wife DeAnna — gathering outside his house. A man who looked to be Madsen's son Max, 31, consoled DeAnna while standing in the home's driveway as more family members arrived. Madsen's eldest son Christian, 35, and his youngest son Luke, 19, also appeared to be at the scene. A statement from the star's representatives to read: '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. 'Madsen was also preparing to release a new book called Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems. 'Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood's most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.' Madsen was best known for his frequent collaborations with director Quentin Tarantino, starring in Reservoir Dogs (1992), Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004), The Hateful Eight (2015), and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). He also starred in 1997's Donnie Brasco as Sonny Black. Madsen is survived by his five children, wife DeAnna and his actress sister Virginia Madsen. His son Hudson died by suicide in 2022 aged 26. Perry Wander, who has represented the star for 20 years, said the Kill Bill icon had 'many struggles'. 'I just spoke to Michael two days ago,' Wander told Daily Mail, admitting that 'I knew he was not well.' 'Michael was suffering from the effects of alcoholism. He had multiple stints in and out of rehab. He struggled to maintain his sobriety. He was not happy about his life.' Madsen was also facing a crippling legal battle with his estranged wife, which saw the pair fighting over child support and other finances, his lawyer claimed. 'I blame her for putting in the screws over his last years of life,' Wander said, alleging the legal battle, which saw his passport be 'maliciously revoked', impacted his ability to travel and work abroad. 'Michael lived a life of regrets - those regrets being his two marriages,' he added. Virginia paid emotional tribute to Madsen in a statement to Variety, which read: 'My brother Michael has left the stage. He was thunder and velvet. Mischief wrapped in tenderness. A poet disguised as an outlaw. A father, a son, a brother — etched in contradiction, tempered by love that left its mark. 'We're not mourning a public figure. We're not mourning a myth — but flesh and blood and ferocious heart. Who stormed through life loud, brilliant, and half on fire. Who leaves us echoes — gruff, brilliant, unrepeatable — half legend, half lullaby. 'I'll miss our inside jokes, the sudden laughter, the sound of him. I'll miss the boy he was before the legend; I miss my big brother. Thank you to everyone reaching out with love and memory. In time, we'll share how we plan to celebrate his life — but for now, we stay close, and let the silence say what words can't.' He was first wed to Georganne LaPiere, half-sister of singer and actress Cher from 1984-1988. He welcomed a daughter named Jessica with Dana Mechling. He was married to Jeannine Bisignano from 1991 to 1995. They have two sons, Christian and Max. In 1996, he married DeAnna. Together they had three sons, Luke, Kalvin and Hudson. His death comes 11 months after his domestic violence case - where he was accused of shoving wife DeAnna - was dismissed due to 'insufficient evidence.' 'We are thrilled that Michael Madsen is able to put this behind him and look forward to our continued collaboration with more great things coming from this veteran and respected actor,' his representative said at the time. The star was arrested for domestic violence amid claims he got physical with his spouse. He also allegedly locked her out of their home, which is located in the Los Angeles area. The Reservoir Dogs star was given a misdemeanor domestic violence charge at the time. He also had to spend part of his weekend in jail, before posting a $20,000 bond. Days later in a statement to THR, Madsen's lawyer Perry Wander insisted that his client was 'not guilty of domestic violence.' A representative for the star confirmed the incident saying: 'It was a disagreement between Michael and his wife, which we hope resolves positively for them both.' Madsen filed for divorce from DeAnna in September 2024 - and in court papers obtained by he accused his estranged wife of driving their son to die by suicide 'by her neglect, drinking and alcoholism.' A month later, he issued a regretful Instagram statement apologizing for his claims and denying he had wanted to end their marriage. He said: 'Losing a child is the hardest and most painful experience that can happen in this world. I deeply apologize for not correcting this earlier but I love my wife and our other 4 children and have no desire for divorce or blame. Madsen filed for divorce from DeAnna in September 2024 - and in court papers obtained by he accused his estranged wife of driving their son to die by suicide 'by her neglect, drinking and alcoholism'; the couple seen in 2005 'She had absolutely nothing to do with what happened to our son. It was a horrible loss and choice that was made for reasons that truly cannot ever be known because the person is gone, I don't think my son is dead , I think he escaped from a life that didn't make sense anymore.' It wasn't Madsen's first brush with the law. In 2022 the Hollywood actor was arrested for trespassing at a luxury house from which he was evicted, reported. It was a $5.3 million Malibu mansion just across the Pacific Coast Highway from La Costa Beach. A source exclusively told at the time: 'Michael had been living at the house since last year, but the lease was in another person's name.' The house was leased out by another person and several thousand dollars were owed in back rent, has learned. The owner had tried for the past two years to get the tenants evicted, but because of the moratorium on evictions on account of Covid, it took several months to go through the legal process. His arrest came just a month after his son, US Army Sgt. Hudson Madsen shot himself dead on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where he was stationed with the 25th Infantry Division. Hudson was an Afghan war vet. Hudson's death came a week after his wife Carlie underwent surgery to remove a tumor from her breast. 'I am in shock as my son, whom I just spoke with a few days ago, said he was happy - my last text from him was "I love you dad,"' he told the Los Angeles Times. 'I didn't see any signs of depression. It's so tragic and sad. I'm just trying to make sense of everything and understand what happened.' Madsen said his son's marriage was 'going strong' and he had recently completed his first tour in the U.S. Army. 'He had typical life challenges that people have with finances, but he wanted a family. He was looking towards his future, so its mind-blowing. I just can't grasp what happened.' Madsen has requested a full military investigation into his son's death. The actor thinks 'the officers and rank and file were shaming' Hudson for wanting therapy. He believes this stopped him from seeking help for mental health issues he had been keeping to himself. In 2019, the actor was axed from a $100,000 role in movie Confessions of a Serial Killer after crashing his Land Rover into a pole and subsequently being arrested for DUI. He was later sentenced to four days in jail. In 2012 he was also arrested for DUI after driving erratically but struck a plea deal that involved attending AA meetings in lieu of more severe punishment. However, after Madsen failed to attend his court ordered Alcoholics Anonymous meetings his probation was revoked. That same year he was arrested at his Malibu home after allegedly getting into a physical fight with his son after catching him smoking marijuana. The actor was being held in jail on $100,000 bail after being charged with child endangerment with cruelty to a child: a felony charge, which means it is considered a crime of high seriousness. He did not face any charges after his arrest for suspected child endangerment.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Reservoir Dogs icon Harvey Keitel breaks silence on Michael Madsen's shock death at 67
Michael Madsen was found dead in his Malibu home on June 3. He was 67 years old. Tributes are pouring in from family, friends and the people Madsen worked with in his long and successful career as one of Hollywood's best actors. Now, Harvey Keitel, 86, is chiming in to share his wishes for his late friend. 'We've lost another great American poet,' Keitel said in a statement to The New York Post. 'Farewell, my dear friend.' Madsen and Keitel starred in Quentin Tarantino 's film Reservoir Dogs as Vic Vega/Mr. Blonde and Larry Dimmick / Mr. White. Keitel continued: 'I'll never forget one of the best scenes I've ever seen on film — of you and Chris Penn fighting in Reservoir Dogs. 'A great love scene. Give Chris a hug for me,' he added. Chris, Sean Penn's younger brother, died in 2006 at the age of 40. He played Eddie Cabot in Reservoir Dogs. Madsen went on to star in three more Tarantino films, The Hateful Eight and Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. The actor played a violent ex-convict who plans to rob a jewelry store with seven other men in Reservoir Dogs. The role Vic Vega even led to him being typecast. 'I guess it's part of the whole bad-boy package,' he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018. 'But I'd rather have a movie like Reservoir Dogs than not have it. There are a lot of actors that are a lot more recognized or famous than me, who get paid a lot more than me who haven't done even one film that you'd remember.' The legendary actor was found 'unresponsive' at his home in Malibu, California early Thursday morning. His manager said Madsen had died from 'cardiac arrest.' But Madsen's lawyer Perry Wander hinted that the movie star drank himself to death and blamed the actor's two former wives for making him miserable. I just spoke to Michael two days ago,' Wander told Daily Mail, admitting that 'I knew he was not well.' 'Michael was suffering from the effects of alcoholism. He had multiple stints in and out of rehab. He struggled to maintain his sobriety. He was not happy about his life.' Madsen was also facing a crippling legal battle with his estranged wife, which saw the pair fighting over child support and other finances, his lawyer claimed. 'I blame her for putting in the screws over his last years of life,' Wander said, alleging the legal battle, which saw his passport be 'maliciously revoked', impacted his ability to travel and work abroad. It is too soon to tell if Madsen's alleged alcoholism contributed to his sudden death, but studies by the National Institutes of Health have found that heavy drinking can significantly increase the risk of cardiac arrest. The star's battle with addiction appears to span back many years. He was axed from a $100,000 role in the movie Confessions of a Serial Killer in 2019 after he crashed crashing his Land Rover into a pole and was subsequently arrested for DUI. He was later sentenced to four days in jail. In 2012, he was also arrested for DUI after driving erratically but struck a plea deal that involved attending AA meetings in lieu of more severe punishment. However, after Madsen failed to attend his court ordered Alcoholics Anonymous meetings his probation was revoked.
Times
6 hours ago
- Times
Michael Madsen obituary: Tarantino favourite with a tender side
Actors are meant to be convincing in whatever role they play — but Michael Madsen feared he overdid it as Mr Blonde, gleefully torturing an undercover cop tied to a chair in Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs while dancing to Stealers Wheel's 1970s hit Stuck In The Middle with You. For good measure, he then sliced off the policeman's ear with a menacing, shark-like grin. 'I think I've been more believable than I should have been,' he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018. 'I think people really fear me. They see me and go: 'Holy shit, there's that guy!'' Madsen did not play only psychopaths and sadists, and the film he made straight after Reservoir Dogs was Free Willy in which he played Glen Greenwood, the tender-hearted foster father of the 12-year-old orphaned boy who befriends a captive orca in a theme park. 'The oddest thing is when children recognise me from Free Willy and their parents recognise me from Reservoir Dogs,' he noted. 'The kids are like, 'There's Glen!' and the parents are like, 'Don't go near that guy!''
