Michael Madsen, Star of Reservoir Dogs, Dies at 67

Michael Madsen, acclaimed for his roles in Quentin Tarantino's classics Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, has passed away at 67 due to cardiac arrest.

According to his manager Ron Smith, Madsen was discovered deceased at his Malibu residence on Thursday morning, NBC reported.

"Over the past two years, Michael Madsen delivered remarkable performances in independent cinema, with upcoming features like Resurrection Road, Concessions, and Cookbook for Southern Housewives, eagerly anticipating this new phase of his career," managers Susan Ferris and Ron Smith, along with publicist Liz Rodriguez, shared in a statement.

"He was also preparing to publish a new book, Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems, currently in editing. Michael Madsen remains one of Hollywood's most iconic actors, whose absence will be deeply felt.”

Madsen is best known for his work with renowned director Quentin Tarantino, beginning with his chilling portrayal of Mr. Blonde in 1992's Reservoir Dogs (Tarantino's debut), followed by assassin Budd, brother to Bill (David Carradine), in the Kill Bill series. He later appeared in Tarantino's 2015 western The Hateful Eight and most recently in 2019's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

While these films are celebrated as masterpieces, Madsen also participated in less acclaimed projects, such as 1995's Species and Uwe Boll's widely criticized BloodRayne, which he later described as "an abomination."

A Chicago native, Madsen's breakout Hollywood role came in 1983's WarGames. His extensive filmography over four decades includes 1991's Thelma & Louise, the family favorite Free Willy, 1997's Donnie Brasco, the 2002 Bond installment Die Another Day, Sin City, and Scary Movie 4.

He also lent his voice to numerous video game characters, such as Toni Cipriani in Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 3, William Carver in Telltale's The Walking Dead, and Daud in Arkane's Dishonored series. In 2023, Madsen featured in the cooperative first-person shooter Crime Boss: Rockay City.