Michael Madsen, known for iconic roles in “Reservoir Dogs” and “Kill Bill,” has died at 67.
Michael Madsen, the gravel-voiced character actor best known as Mr. Blonde in Quentin Tarantino’s 1992 debut Reservoir Dogs, has died at 67.
His representative reported that he was found unresponsive at his Malibu home on Thursday morning; the preliminary cause appears to have been cardiac arrest.
Over a career spanning more than 300 films, Madsen became one of Hollywood’s most recognizable supporting players.
After beginning on stage with Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre, he made his screen debut in WarGames (1983) and went on to memorable turns in Racing with the Moon, The Natural and Kill Me Again during the 1980s.
His breakthrough came when Tarantino cast him as the sadistic, dancing Mr. Blonde—famously slicing a cop’s ear while “Stuck in the Middle With You” played—and he remained part of the director’s ensemble for Kill Bill: Vols. 1 & 2, The Hateful Eight and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.
Beyond Tarantino, Madsen’s résumé included roles in Donnie Brasco, Thelma & Louise, Sin City, The Doors, Species, Mulholland Falls and Once Upon a Time in Mexico.
In recent years he gravitated toward independent productions, with upcoming titles Resurrection Road, Concessions and Cookbook for Southern Housewives still in post-production, and he was editing a poetry collection titled Tears for My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems.
Born September 25, 1957, in Chicago to filmmaker Elaine and firefighter Calvin Madsen, he was the brother of Virginia Madsen and Cheryl Madsen.
Off screen, he published several poetry collections, including Burning in Paradise and Expecting Rain.
His personal life included a highly publicized 2024 arrest for domestic battery involving his estranged wife, DeAnna, with whom he had six children.
Their eldest son, Hudson, tragically died by suicide in 2022.
Madsen’s uniquely weathered presence and darkly charismatic performances left an indelible mark on genre cinema; colleagues and fans alike will remember him as one of Hollywood’s most iconic character actors.
