Actor Michael Madsen made a huge impact when he appeared as Mr. Blonde in Quentin Tarantino‘s first film, Reservoir Dogs. Madsen continued to collaborate with Tarantino on several additional projects as well as having proven himself as a unique and memorable actor throughout the rest of the 1990s and 2000s. Sadly, Michael Madsen has now been confirmed dead at age 67.
As noted by Variety, the actor who also appeared in the Kill Bill duology directed by Tarantino “was found unresponsive in his Malibu home Thursday morning, according to his rep, who said the cause appeared to be a cardiac arrest.” The death comes as a sudden shock as Madsen was working on several new projects for release in the coming years.
The following projects were mentioned in a statement shared by Madsen’s managers, Susan Ferris and Ron Smith and publicist Liz Rodriguez. Here’s the joint statement they released:
“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. Michael was also preparing to release a new book called ‘Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems’ currently being edited,” the statement began. “Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.”
Along with Reservoir Dogs and the Kill Bill films, Madsen also appeared in Tarantino’s films The Hateful Eight and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Madsen worked with similar filmmaker Robert Rodriguez on Sin City and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Other projects for Madsen include Mulholland Falls, the first two Species films, The Killing Jar, and numerous low-budget productions.
Madsen is survived by five of his children, with a sixth child, Hudson, having committed suicide in 2022. Two years later, in 2024, he was arrested on charges of domestic battery regarding an altercation with his estranged wife DeAnna. During all of this, however, the Kill Bill actor continued to work and several posthumous projects are already lined up for release in the coming years.