
'Reservoir Dogs,' 'Kill Bill' actor Michael Madsen dies at 67
July 3 (UPI) -- Michael Madsen, an actor known for Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill and more, has died.
NBC News and The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the star died Thursday at age 67.
Madsen's representative, Liz Rodriguez, said the cause of death was cardiac arrest, after Los Angeles County deputies responded to a 911 call at Madsen's Malibu home.
The actor was a regular in Quentin Tarantino's films, beginning with Tarantino's debut Reservoir Dogs, in which he played the ear chopping torturer Mr. Blonde. Mr. Blonde, aka Vic Vega, is the brother of John Travolta's Pulp Fiction character, Vincent Vega.
Tarantino also cast Madsen in Kill Bill, The Hateful Eight and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. His other roles included Susan Sarandon's boyfriend in Thelma & Louise, a mobster in Donnie Brasco and NSA chief Falco in the James Bond film Die Another Day.
Madsen's first screen credit was the 1982 movie Against All Hope. Wargames, The Natural and episodes of St. Elsewhere, Cagney & Lacey and Miami Vice followed. He also starred in the first two films in both the Species and Free Willy franchises.
He has 18 more credits in post-production according to IMDB, and starred in this year's Resurrection Road, Sinatra! Eternity and Cash Collectors. He is the brother of actor Virginia Madsen.
Notable deaths of 2025
Michael Madsen Actor Michael Madsen arrives on the red carpet for the closing ceremony of the Monte Carlo Television Festival in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on June 14, 2012. Madsen, best known for
Actor Michael Madsen arrives on the red carpet for the closing ceremony of the Monte Carlo Television Festival in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on June 14, 2012. Madsen, best known for starring in films such as "Reservoir Dogs," "Kill Bill," "Sin City," "Thelma & Louise" and "Donnie Brasco," died at the age of 67 on July 3. Photo by David Silpa/UPI | License Photo
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Hollywood Pays Tribute To Michael Madsen: 'One Of My Favorite Actors I Ever Worked With'
Michael Madsen died July 3 at 67, and his family, co-stars and famous admirers are posting tributes to the Reservoir Dogs star. His younger sister, Virginia Madsen, posted a heartfelt reaction on Instagram. More from Deadline Remembering Michael Madsen: A Career In Photos 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries Michael Madsen Dies: 'Kill Bill', 'Reservoir Dogs' Actor Was 67 'He was thunder and velvet. Mischief wrapped in tenderness. A poet disguised as an outlaw,' she wrote. 'I'll miss our inside jokes, the sudden laughter, the sound of him. I'll miss the boy he was before the legend.' Vivica A. Fox gave a statement to the New York Post: 'I had the pleasure of working with Michael Madsen on 'Kill Bill' & several other films! Michael was a talented man with an AMAZING on screen presence! My deepest condolences & prayers to his family. #GoneToSoon #RestInParadise.' Best of Deadline 'Poker Face' Season 2 Guest Stars: From Justin Theroux To Jason Ritter Remembering Michael Madsen: A Career In Photos 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Remembering Michael Madsen: A Career In Photos
Michael Madsen, who was found dead today at his Malibu home, is best known for his long collaboration with Quentin Tarantino. The director chose Madsen for a star-making turn as Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs. Madsen also appeared in Vol. 1 & 2 of the director's Kill Bill films, The Hateful Eight and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood. RELATED: Hollywood Pays Tribute To Michael Madsen: 'One Of My Favorite Actors I Ever Worked With' More from Deadline Michael Madsen Dies: 'Kill Bill', 'Reservoir Dogs' Actor Was 67 Val Kilmer Was Scheduled To Attend Last Night's Beverly Hills Film Festival Screening Of Documentary On Friend Michael Madsen Michael Madsen, Steven Ogg, Josh Hamilton & More Lead Movie Theater Comedy 'Concessions' But Madsen was prolific, working on between 7-12 projects a year over much of his career, often stealing scenes from bigger-name stars. And he did it for 40-plus years. From Diner in 1983 to Free Willy in 1993 to Sin City in 2005, scroll through the photos below to see the full range of his work. RELATED: Best of Deadline 'Poker Face' Season 2 Guest Stars: From Justin Theroux To Jason Ritter 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries 'The Buccaneers' Season 2 Soundtrack: From Griff To Sabrina Carpenter
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Michael Madsen Dies: ‘Kill Bill', ‘Reservoir Dogs' Actor Was 67
Michael Madsen, the actor whose iconic performances in Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, The Hateful Eight and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood were the cornerstones of a prolific Hollywood career, died this morning of an apparent cardiac arrest at his Malibu home, his managers and publicist confirmed to NBC News. Deputies responded to the actor's home after a 911 call early Thursday. Madsen was pronounced dead there. More from Deadline Val Kilmer Was Scheduled To Attend Last Night's Beverly Hills Film Festival Screening Of Documentary On Friend Michael Madsen Michael Madsen, Steven Ogg, Josh Hamilton & More Lead Movie Theater Comedy 'Concessions' Michael Madsen Arrested For Domestic Violence Born in Chicago on September 25, 1957, to his firefighter father Calvin Christian Madsen and filmmaker mother Elaine Madsen – his siblings include Academy Award nominee Virginia Madsen – Madsen began acting at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago in 1980, serving as an apprentice under John Malkovich and appearing in a production of Of Mice and Men. By 1982 he was appearing in two episodes of St. Elsewhere, and the following year was cast in a small role in WarGames, the hit Matthew Broderick computer thriller. By the middle of the decade he had parts in film (Diner, The Natural, Racing With The Moon) and on TV (Cagney & Lacey, Miami Vice, War and Remembrance). The 1990s would be even busier, and would bring Madsen a considerably higher profile. He started the decade with roles in Thelma & Louise and The Doors, but his career really took off with his unforgettable scene in Reservoir Dogs in which his psychopath character, 'Mr. Blonde,' tortures a police officer while dancing to the song 'Stuck In The Middle With You.' MORE TO COME… Best of Deadline 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries 'The Buccaneers' Season 2 Soundtrack: From Griff To Sabrina Carpenter 'The Buccaneers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out?