Michael Madsen, Kill Bill and Reservoir Dogs Actor, Dies at 67

The actor Michael Madsen has died aged 67 at his home in Malibu, according to authorities and his representatives. The sheriff's department stated that there was no foul play when deputies went to the Los Angeles County house on Thursday morning after a call to emergency services.

At 8:25 a.m., they said he was dead.  Ron Smith, Madsen's manager, confirmed in an email that his client had died of heart failure.

Madsen has hundreds of parts on cinema throughout the course of his 40-year acting career. But he was best known for his collaborations with Tarantino, who cast him as a psychotic thief in "Reservoir Dogs" and a washed-up hitman in "Kill Bill: Vol. 2."

Madsen played Mr. Blonde in "Reservoir Dogs," and the moment when Mr. Blonde dances to "Stuck in the Middle With You" is the most famous one in the movie.

Some of Madsen's other well-known movies are "The Doors," "Thelma & Louise," and "Donnie Brasco." Tarantino placed him in the gory Western "The Hateful Eight" and the 1969-set movie "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."

Michael Madsen was born in Chicago on Sept. 25, 1957, to a firefighter father and filmmaker mother; one of his siblings is the Oscar-nominated actor Virginia Madsen.

He began his professional career working at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre, where he apprenticed under John Malkovich. The experience led to small early roles in 1980s films like "WarGames" and "The Natural."

He worked steadily throughout his career, acting in various small-scale projects but occasionally appearing in high-profile releases, such as the James Bond franchise entry "Die Another Day" and the graphic novel adaptation "Sin City."

 Madsen was married three times, most recently to DeAnna Morgan. He is survived by four children, including actor Christian Madsen. Hudson Madsen, one of his kids, killed himself at age 26 in 2022.