Michael Madsen, Star of ‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Kill Bill,’ Dies at 67— A Life in Pictures
Actor Michael Madsen poses for a portrait during the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, Jan. 24, 2008 in Park City, Utah. - Mark Mainz/Getty Images
The iconic actor, poet, and frequent Tarantino collaborator leaves behind a legacy of grit, poetry, and unforgettable menace.
Michael Madsen, the gravel-voiced actor whose intense screen presence defined a generation of indie cool, has died at the age of 67. Best known for his collaborations with Quentin Tarantino on Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, and The Hateful Eight, Madsen passed away from an apparent cardiac arrest Thursday morning at his Malibu home, his representative confirmed.
With more than 300 credits to his name and a filmography that spans cult classics, blockbuster hits, and decades of independent cinema, Madsen was a fixture of Hollywood’s gritty underbelly. From the moment he swaggered into the frame as Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs, Madsen carved out a space that was uniquely his: dangerous, damaged, magnetic. His infamous ear-slicing scene — set to Stealers Wheel’s deceptively cheerful “Stuck in the Middle With You” — became one of the most iconic moments in modern film history.
“In the last two years, Michael had been doing some incredible work with independent films… and was really looking forward to this next chapter in his life,” his managers Susan Ferris and Ron Smith, along with publicist Liz Rodriguez, said in a statement. “Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.”
Madsen’s collaborations with Tarantino extended beyond Reservoir Dogs, with key roles in Kill Bill: Vols. 1 & 2, The Hateful Eight, and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. His presence was often the linchpin in Tarantino’s gritty ensembles — the bruised heart beating beneath the blood-soaked surface.
Outside of that director-actor partnership, Madsen’s career was impressively varied. He appeared in Donnie Brasco, Thelma & Louise, Sin City, The Doors, Species, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and Mulholland Falls, among others. His screen persona — tough but weary, dangerous but human — resonated deeply across genres.
Born September 25, 1957, in Chicago, Madsen came from a working-class background. His mother, Elaine, was a filmmaker and author; his father, Calvin, a firefighter. His sister Virginia Madsen, also an accomplished actor, earned an Oscar nomination for her role in Sideways. Michael’s own path began on stage with Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre, before transitioning to film with 1983’s WarGames and ’80s touchstones like Racing With the Moon and The Natural.
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Though his latter career leaned into low-budget indies, Madsen remained a compelling figure. He brought gravitas to roles that might have wilted in lesser hands and never stopped working. His upcoming films included Resurrection Road, Concessions, and Cookbook for Southern Housewives.
Madsen was also an accomplished poet. His collections — Burning in Paradise, Expecting Rain, and the forthcoming Tears for My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems — added a lyrical depth to his public persona. The same vulnerability that simmered beneath his on-screen toughness spilled into verses marked by longing, violence, and bruised introspection.
In 2024, he made headlines for a domestic battery arrest involving his estranged wife DeAnna. The two shared a son, Hudson, who tragically died by suicide in 2022. Madsen had five other children.
With his passing, Hollywood loses one of its great rough-edged romantics — a man whose performances were as poetic as his written words. Madsen wasn’t just a character actor; he was a character in the truest sense, etched in film history with a switchblade and a swagger.
Michael Madsen a life in pictures:
