Michael Madsen, the Hollywood star known for his roles in Quentin Tarantino films such as "Reservoir Dogs" and "Kill Bill," has died at the age of 67. The actor was found unconscious in his home in Malibu, California, on Thursday morning and was pronounced dead at the scene.
His death is believed to have been caused by natural causes and authorities do not suspect foul play. His manager, Ron Smith, said it was possible Madsen had suffered a cardiac arrest.
Madsen's career spanned over 40 years, with more than 300 roles, many in low-budget films. But his most memorable on-screen moment remains his sadistic torture of a police officer in the infamous scene in Reservoir Dogs (1992), while dancing to the tune of "Stuck in the Middle with You."
He became a regular collaborator of Tarantino's, later appearing in "Kill Bill" and "The Hateful Eight."
In a statement to the media, his managers, Ron Smith and Susan Ferris, along with publicist Liz Rodriguez, said:
“In the past two years, Michael had embarked on several extraordinary projects in independent cinema, including the upcoming films, ‘Resurrection Road,’ ‘Concessions,’ and ‘Cookbook for Southern Housewives.’ He was looking forward to this new chapter in his life.”
They added:
"He was one of Hollywood's most iconic actors, who will be greatly missed."
During a handshake ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles in November 2020, Madsen recalled the first time he visited Hollywood in the early 1980s:
“I got off, went for a walk, and stopped to think: maybe one day, in some way, this would become part of my life? I didn't know. I didn't know what I would become. I could have become a bricklayer, an architect, a garbage collector... or nothing. But I got lucky. I got lucky as an actor.”
Michael Madsen was the father of six biological children – a daughter from an earlier relationship, two sons with ex-wife Jeannine Bisignano, and three sons with DeAnna Morgan – as well as an adopted son from DeAnna's previous marriage. In 2022, his son Hudson Lee Madsen, born from his marriage to DeAnna, tragically died at the age of 26 after committing suicide.
