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Michael Madsen, star of Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, dies at 67
Michael Madsen, star of Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, dies at 67

Vancouver Sun

time9 hours ago

  • Entertainment
  • Vancouver Sun

Michael Madsen, star of Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, dies at 67

LOS ANGELES — Michael Madsen, the actor best known for his coolly menacing, steely-eyed, often sadistic characters in the films of Quentin Tarantino including Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill: Vol. 2, has died. Madsen was found unresponsive in his home in Malibu, Calif., on Thursday morning and pronounced dead, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Watch Commander Christopher Jauregui said. He is believed to have died of natural causes and authorities do not suspect any foul play was involved. Madsen's manager Ron Smith said cardiac arrest was the apparent cause. He was 67. Madsen's career spanned more than 300 credits stretching back to the early 1980s, many in low-budget and independent films. He often played low-level thugs, gangsters and shady cops in small roles. Tarantino would use that identity, but make him a main character. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. His torture of a captured police officer in Tarantino's 1992 directorial debut Reservoir Dogs, in which Madsen's black-suited bank robber Vic 'Mr. Blonde' Vega severs the man's ear while dancing to Stealers Wheel's Stuck in the Middle with You was an early career-defining moment for both director and actor. Madsen told the Associated Press in 2012 that he hated having to do the scene, especially after the actor playing the officer, Kirk Baltz, ad-libbed a line where he begged for his life because he had children. 'I just said, 'Oh my God,' I couldn't do it, I didn't want to do it,' Madsen said. 'Acting is such a humiliating profession.' He would become a Tarantino regular. He had a small role as the cowboy-hatted desert dweller Budd, a member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, in 2003's Kill Bill: Vol. 1, then a starring role the following year in the sequel, in which he battles with Uma Thurman's protagonist The Bride and buries her alive. Madsen also appeared in Tarantino's The Hateful Eight and Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood. He was an alternate choice to play the hit man role that revived John Travolta's career in 1994's Pulp Fiction. The character, Vincent Vega, is the brother of Madsen's Reservoir Dogs robber in Tarantino's cinematic universe. His sister, Oscar-nominated Sideways actor Virginia Madsen, was among those paying him tribute on Thursday. '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,' she said in a statement. '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.' His Hateful Eight co-star and fellow Tarantino favourite Walton Goggins celebrated him on Instagram. 'Michael Madsen… this man… this artist… this poet… this rascal…' Goggins wrote. 'Aura like no one else. Ain't enough words so I'll just say this…. I love you buddy. A H8TER forever.' James Woods, Madsen's co-star in two films, wrote on X, 'I was always touched by his sweet nature and generosity, the absolute opposite of the 'tough guys' he portrayed so brilliantly.' Madsen was born in Chicago to a family of three children. He performed on stage with the city's Steppenwolf Theatre Company alongside actors including John Malkovich. 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.' His first film role of any significance was in the 1983 hacker thriller WarGames with Matthew Broderick. The following year he played pro baseball player Bump Bailey alongside Robert Redford in The Natural. He spent much of the rest of the 1980s doing one-off guest roles on television dramas including Miami Vice and Quantum Leap. 1991 would bring a career boost with roles in The Doors, where he played a buddy of Val Kilmer's Jim Morrison, and Thelma and Louise, where he played the boyfriend of Susan Sarandon's Louise. Then would come Reservoir Dogs. In 1995, he played a black ops mercenary in the sci-fi thriller Species and in 1997 he was third billed after Al Pacino and Johnny Depp as a member of a crew of gangsters in Donnie Brasco. He occasionally played against type. In the 1993 family orca adventure Free Willy he was the foster father to the orphan protagonist. Madsen would return to smaller roles but worked constantly in the final two decades of his career. Madsen had six children. He had struggled in recent years after the 2022 death of one of his sons, Hudson. 'Losing a child is the hardest and most painful experience that can happen in this world,' Madsen said in an Instagram post last year. He said the loss put a strain on his marriage to third wife, DeAnna Madsen. He was arrested on suspicion of domestic battery last year, but was not charged. He filed for divorce, but asked that the filing be dismissed just weeks later. He had previously been arrested twice on suspicion of DUI, most recently in 2019, when he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanour. '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. 'Michael was also preparing to release a new book called Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems currently being edited.' The memoir includes a foreword from Tarantino.

Michael Madsen, star of Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, dies at 67
Michael Madsen, star of Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, dies at 67

Edmonton Journal

time9 hours ago

  • Entertainment
  • Edmonton Journal

Michael Madsen, star of Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, dies at 67

Article content LOS ANGELES — Michael Madsen, the actor best known for his coolly menacing, steely-eyed, often sadistic characters in the films of Quentin Tarantino including Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill: Vol. 2, has died. Article content Madsen was found unresponsive in his home in Malibu, Calif., on Thursday morning and pronounced dead, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Watch Commander Christopher Jauregui said. He is believed to have died of natural causes and authorities do not suspect any foul play was involved. Madsen's manager Ron Smith said cardiac arrest was the apparent cause. He was 67. Article content Article content Madsen's career spanned more than 300 credits stretching back to the early 1980s, many in low-budget and independent films. He often played low-level thugs, gangsters and shady cops in small roles. Tarantino would use that identity, but make him a main character. Article content His torture of a captured police officer in Tarantino's 1992 directorial debut Reservoir Dogs, in which Madsen's black-suited bank robber Vic 'Mr. Blonde' Vega severs the man's ear while dancing to Stealers Wheel's Stuck in the Middle with You was an early career-defining moment for both director and actor. Article content Madsen told the Associated Press in 2012 that he hated having to do the scene, especially after the actor playing the officer, Kirk Baltz, ad-libbed a line where he begged for his life because he had children. Article content 'I just said, 'Oh my God,' I couldn't do it, I didn't want to do it,' Madsen said. 'Acting is such a humiliating profession.' Article content Article content He would become a Tarantino regular. He had a small role as the cowboy-hatted desert dweller Budd, a member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, in 2003's Kill Bill: Vol. 1, then a starring role the following year in the sequel, in which he battles with Uma Thurman's protagonist The Bride and buries her alive. Article content Madsen also appeared in Tarantino's The Hateful Eight and Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood. He was an alternate choice to play the hit man role that revived John Travolta's career in 1994's Pulp Fiction. The character, Vincent Vega, is the brother of Madsen's Reservoir Dogs robber in Tarantino's cinematic universe. Article content Article content His sister, Oscar-nominated Sideways actor Virginia Madsen, was among those paying him tribute on Thursday. Article content '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,' she said in a statement. '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.'

Michael Madsen dies at 67: All about his wife and children
Michael Madsen dies at 67: All about his wife and children

Hindustan Times

time16 hours ago

  • Entertainment
  • Hindustan Times

Michael Madsen dies at 67: All about his wife and children

Michael Madsen, the actor known for his iconic tough-guy roles in Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill: Vol. 2, has died at the age of 67. His manager, Ron Smith, confirmed that the actor passed away Thursday morning from cardiac arrest. Madsen was married four times and was reportedly the father of six children. Michael shared this picture with his son Maxon on Instagram, wishing Happy Birthday. The actor died at the age of 67. (michaelmadsenofficial/Instagram) Also Read: Michael Madsen cause of death: How did Reservoir Dogs star die? All about heath issues Michael Madsen got married three times Madsen was married to his first wife, Georganne LaPiere, from 1984 to 1988, who is a half-sister to Cher. He got married again to Jeannine Bisignano from 1991 to 1995. In 1996, Madsen got married to DeAnna Madsen, however, the two filed for divorce after 28 years of marriage, as he accused her of driving their son to suicide. In 2024, People Magazine reported that, according to the documents, the 66-year-old actor cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split, noting that the separation occurred shortly after the tragic death of their 26-year-old son, Hudson, who died by suicide on January 25, 2022. Also Read: Star Wars actor Kenneth Colley dies at 87: Cause of death revealed How many children does Michael Madsen have? Madsen shared two sons from his second marriage to Jeannine Bisignano, Christian and Max. Both followed their father's footsteps and pursued acting. According to Empire, while Christian started acting at the age of 10 and appeared in many small roles, his breakout role was in Divergent, after which he was cast in a lead role in Prism. He also starred in Palo Alto and Jack Squared. Madsen shared three sons with his third wife, DeAnna Madsen: Luke, Kalvin, and Hudson. However, Hudson passed away at a young age, and his cause of death was revealed to be suicide. It also reported that Madsen had a daughter with daughter named Jessica with Dana Mechling.

Michael Madsen, ‘Reservoir Dogs' and ‘Kill Bill' star, dies at 67
Michael Madsen, ‘Reservoir Dogs' and ‘Kill Bill' star, dies at 67

New Indian Express

time16 hours ago

  • Entertainment
  • New Indian Express

Michael Madsen, ‘Reservoir Dogs' and ‘Kill Bill' star, dies at 67

LOS ANGELES: Michael Madsen, the actor best known for his coolly menacing, steely-eyed, often sadistic characters in the films of Quentin Tarantino including 'Reservoir Dogs' and 'Kill Bill: Vol. 2,' has died. Madsen was found unresponsive in his home in Malibu, California, on Thursday morning and pronounced dead, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Watch Commander Christopher Jauregui said. He is believed to have died of natural causes and authorities do not suspect any foul play was involved. Madsen's manager Ron Smith said cardiac arrest was the apparent cause. He was 67. Madsen's career spanned more than 300 credits stretching back to the early 1980s, many in low-budget and independent films. He often played low-level thugs, gangsters and shady cops in small roles. Tarantino would use that identity, but make him a main character. His torture of a captured police officer in Tarantino's 1992 directorial debut 'Reservoir Dogs,' in which Madsen's black-suited bank robber Vic 'Mr. Blonde' Vega severs the man's ear while dancing to Stealers Wheel's 'Stuck in the Middle with You' was an early career-defining moment for both director and actor.

Who was Michael Madsen? Reservoir Dogs actor dies at 67 after heartbreak of son's suicide and collapse of 28-year-long marriage
Who was Michael Madsen? Reservoir Dogs actor dies at 67 after heartbreak of son's suicide and collapse of 28-year-long marriage

Time of India

time18 hours ago

  • Entertainment
  • Time of India

Who was Michael Madsen? Reservoir Dogs actor dies at 67 after heartbreak of son's suicide and collapse of 28-year-long marriage

Michael Madsen, known for portraying gritty, tough-edged characters in Hollywood, died at the age of 67 on Thursday morning. According to his manager Ron Smith, the actor passed away at his home in Malibu, California, from cardiac arrest. Authorities responded to a 911 call and found him unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at 08:25 a.m. local time (15:25 GMT). Madsen, whose on-screen presence became iconic in films directed by Quentin Tarantino, leaves behind a complex legacy in both film and family life. Hollywood career spanning four decades Madsen became a household name after his role as Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs, where his character stunned viewers in a notorious scene involving a police officer. His career continued with appearances in Kill Bill: Vol. 2, The Hateful Eight, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Across film and television, Madsen frequently portrayed both enforcers of the law—like sheriffs and detectives—and those operating outside it, including hitmen and gangsters. He also lent his voice to major video game titles such as Grand Theft Auto III and the Dishonored series. Family, marriages, and personal struggles Born in Chicago in September 1957, Madsen came from a working-class background. His father was a Navy veteran and later a firefighter, while his mother worked as a filmmaker. He was the older brother of Virginia Madsen, who gained acclaim for her role in Sideways, which earned her Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. Madsen was married three times. His first marriage was to Georganne LaPiere (half-sister of Cher), followed by a second marriage to Jeannine Bisignano. In 1996, he married DeAnna Madsen. Their marriage ended in 2024 after 28 years, shortly after the death of their son Hudson in 2022. According to People Magazine, the actor cited 'irreconcilable differences' in the divorce documents. Children and legacy Michael Madsen was the father of six children. With his second wife, Jeannine Bisignano, he had two sons, Christian and Max. Christian Madsen followed his father into acting, with roles in Divergent, Prism, Palo Alto, and Jack Squared. With his third wife DeAnna, Madsen had three sons—Luke, Kalvin, and Hudson. Hudson died by suicide at the age of 26. Madsen also had a daughter, Jessica, with Dana Mechling. Virginia Madsen remembered her brother in a statement to Variety: 'He was thunder and velvet. Mischief wrapped in tenderness. A poet disguised as an outlaw… tempered by love that left its mark.' Michael Madsen's career, marked by complex characters and a distinctive presence, left a lasting mark on Hollywood and his family.

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