Latest news with #RonSmith
The Star
4 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
An open letter to Harimau Malaya head coach Cklamovski
Dear Peter, Since we've never met, allow me to introduce myself. I'm a journalist with over three decades of experience covering Malaysian football, and until recently, the country's sole representative in the prestigious Ballon d'Or voting panel – before the organisers limited participation to media from the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations. Above all, I'm a passionate supporter of Harimau Malaya and Malaysian football. It's not too late to extend a warm welcome to you as the first Australian to take the helm of our national team. You may be familiar with another Australian who left a lasting mark here – Ron Smith. He served as Football Association of Malaysia's (FAM) director of coaching over two decades ago and created a legacy in Sabah and Pahang, albeit very briefly. He and played a pivotal role in developing talents like Shukor Adan, Nizaruddin Yusof, and Nidzam Jamil, laying the groundwork for the 2001 SEA Games squad. His legacy reminds us that foreign expertise, when aligned with local development, can be transformative. Your early impact has been encouraging. The victories over Nepal and Vietnam in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers were impressive, and the inclusion of naturalised and heritage players like Hector Hevel and Jon Irazabal has added technical depth and international experience to the squad. However, their presence – despite unclear ancestral ties to Malaysia, has sparked debate. While FIFA may not object if the government has issued the necessary documents, fans are left questioning the criteria behind these decisions. Transparency is sorely lacking. Rob Friend, Harimau Malaya's chief executive officer, has yet to clearly explain the heritage or residency pathways for several players, despite his recent media charm offensive. This opacity risks alienating supporters and undermining the development of homegrown talent. Naturalisation should be guided by integrity, fairness, and a genuine connection to Malaysia. It must complement – not replace – the nurturing of local stars like Arif Aiman Hanapi and Ahmad Syihan Hazmi. The national team must remain a source of pride and identity for Malaysians. The situation has even led to widespread online speculation that FAM may have breached naturalisation rules. Whether true or not, the lack of clear communication fuels mistrust. Peter, Malaysian football has always been a blend of local pride and international collaboration. As we embrace a new generation of players, let us also preserve the values and memories of those who built the foundation. As we look to the future, it is equally important to honour the past. The legacy of players like Razali Alias and Ray Crawford reminds us of the rich history and multicultural spirit that has long defined Malaysian football. Razali, a Singapore-born striker, became the first naturalised player to represent Malaysia after he was granted citizenship in January 1984. He went on tour with the national team to the Middle East but FIFA ruled him ineligible for the World Cup qualifiers the following year as he had represented Singapore. Few Malaysians realise the first naturalised player with no connection to this land to don national colours was an Englishman later known as the Jungle Boy. Long before the Latin Americans were given their identity cards and passports to add more bite to Harimau Malaya, Portsmouth-born left-winger Ray Crawford enjoyed the distinction of representing Malaya almost 70 years ago. A much-respected player representing the Federation Combined Services in the Malaya Cup, Crawford served 18 months in Malaya with the Royal Hampshire Regiment. He was picked in a friendly match as the national team were officially formed, to prepare, ironically, for the first AFC Asian Cup in 1956. These trivia aside, I write this not out of malice, but from deep concern and a shared desire to see Malaysian football reach its full potential. Peter, your recent remarks on the allegations of internal sabotage and political interference have cast a shadow over what should have been a moment of celebration. While your courage in speaking out is commendable, the ambiguity of your statements has left fans, analysts, and even your employer, FAM, in confusion. FAM president Datuk Mohd Joehari Ayub has publicly urged you to clarify your claims, rightly pointing out that speculation without context only breeds division. Vague insinuations erode trust and morale. The time for cryptic remarks is over. Looking ahead, I wish you and the team the best of luck in the CAFA Nations Cup against Iran, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan. This tournament, to be held in August until September, is a vital platform to test our mettle against Iran – the defending champions and Asia's second-ranked team – and other emerging Central Asian sides. It was before a small crowd in the AFC Asian Cup final rounds in 2007 that Malaysia last met Iran, who ran out comfortable winners despite the 2-0 margin. Peter, the path forward demands clarity, courage, and collaboration. Malaysian football deserves nothing less. Respectfully yours, Rizal Hashim
National Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- National Post
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. 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 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 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.' Article content His Hateful Eight co-star and fellow Tarantino favourite Walton Goggins celebrated him on Instagram. Article content '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.'
CNA
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
Michael Madsen, Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill actor, dies at 67
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 (Jul 3) 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. 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 favorite 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 misdemeanor. '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.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Michael Madsen 'struggled to maintain his sobriety' before death
Michael Madsen was reportedly struggling with alcohol addiction before his death. The 67-year-old actor was pronounced dead on Thursday (03.07.25) after being found unresponsive at his Malibu home, with his manager Ron Smith telling that 'cardiac arrest' appeared to be the cause of death. And, Michael's lawyer Perry Wander, who represented him for 20 years, said the Kill Bill actor had 'struggled to maintain his sobriety'. He told 'I just spoke to Michael two days ago. 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.' The lawyer also claimed that Michael was locked in a legal battle with his estranged wife over child support and other finances. He said: 'I blame her for putting in the screws over his last years of life. Michael lived a life of regrets - those regrets being his two marriages.' He added that the legal battle caused his passport to be 'maliciously revoked', which impacted his ability to travel and work abroad. Michael suffered a devastating loss in 2022 when his son Hudson took his own life at the age of 26. The star is survived by his five other children, Jessica who he shared with Dana Mechling, Christian and Max, whose mother is Jeannine Bisignano and Luke and Kalvin, whose mom is Madsen's wife DeAnna Morgan. Madsen was married to Georganne LaPiere, half-sister of Cher from 1984 to 1988. He went on to marry Bisignano from 1991 to 1995 before tying the knot with DeAnna in 1996 and welcoming Luke, Kalvin and Hudson together. The relationship had its ups and downs, and his death comes just 11 months after his domestic violence case - where he was accused of shoving DeAnna - was dismissed due to 'insufficient evidence'. Madsen was best known for his work with director Quentin Tarantino, including classics such as 1992's in Reservoir Dogs, 2004's Kill Bill: Volume 2, 2015's The Hateful Eight, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which was released in 2019.
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Michael Madsen, ‘Reservoir Dogs' and ‘Kill Bill' Star, Dies at 67
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. 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 favorite 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 misdemeanor. "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." They added that he "was one of Hollywood's most iconic actors, who will be missed by many."
