Reservoir Dogs star Michael Madsen dies age 66
Madsen was found unresponsive in his home in Malibu, California, on Thursday morning and pronounced dead, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Watch Commander Christopher Jauregui said.
He is believed to have died of natural causes and authorities do not suspect any foul play was involved. Madsen's manager Ron Smith said cardiac arrest was the apparent cause.
Madsen's career spanned more than 300 credits stretching back to the early 1980s, many in low-budget films. But his most memorable screen moment may have been the sadistic torture of a captured police officer — while dancing to Stealers Wheel's Stuck in the Middle with You — as Mr Blonde in 1992's Reservoir Dogs.
He would become a Tarantino regular, appearing in the Kill Bill films and The Hateful Eight.
"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," his managers Smith and Susan Ferris and publicist Liz Rodriguez said in a statement.
They added that he "was one of Hollywood's most iconic actors, who will be missed by many".
During a handprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in November 2020, Madsen reflected on his first visit to Hollywood in the early 1980s.
"I got out and I walked around and I looked and I wondered if there were someday, some way that that was going to be a part of me. And I didn't know because I didn't know what I was going to do at that point with myself," he said.
"I could have been a bricklayer. I could have been an architect. I could have been a garbage man. I could have been nothing. But I got lucky. I got lucky as an actor."
Michael Madsen, whose menacing characters in Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill made him a stand-out in Quentin Tarantino's films, has died. He was 66.
Madsen was found unresponsive in his home in Malibu, California, on Thursday morning and pronounced dead, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Watch Commander Christopher Jauregui said.
He is believed to have died of natural causes and authorities do not suspect any foul play was involved. Madsen's manager Ron Smith said cardiac arrest was the apparent cause.
Madsen's career spanned more than 300 credits stretching back to the early 1980s, many in low-budget films. But his most memorable screen moment may have been the sadistic torture of a captured police officer — while dancing to Stealers Wheel's Stuck in the Middle with You — as Mr Blonde in 1992's Reservoir Dogs.
He would become a Tarantino regular, appearing in the Kill Bill films and The Hateful Eight.
"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," his managers Smith and Susan Ferris and publicist Liz Rodriguez said in a statement.
They added that he "was one of Hollywood's most iconic actors, who will be missed by many".
During a handprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in November 2020, Madsen reflected on his first visit to Hollywood in the early 1980s.
"I got out and I walked around and I looked and I wondered if there were someday, some way that that was going to be a part of me. And I didn't know because I didn't know what I was going to do at that point with myself," he said.
"I could have been a bricklayer. I could have been an architect. I could have been a garbage man. I could have been nothing. But I got lucky. I got lucky as an actor."
Michael Madsen, whose menacing characters in Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill made him a stand-out in Quentin Tarantino's films, has died. He was 66.
Madsen was found unresponsive in his home in Malibu, California, on Thursday morning and pronounced dead, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Watch Commander Christopher Jauregui said.
He is believed to have died of natural causes and authorities do not suspect any foul play was involved. Madsen's manager Ron Smith said cardiac arrest was the apparent cause.
Madsen's career spanned more than 300 credits stretching back to the early 1980s, many in low-budget films. But his most memorable screen moment may have been the sadistic torture of a captured police officer — while dancing to Stealers Wheel's Stuck in the Middle with You — as Mr Blonde in 1992's Reservoir Dogs.
He would become a Tarantino regular, appearing in the Kill Bill films and The Hateful Eight.
"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," his managers Smith and Susan Ferris and publicist Liz Rodriguez said in a statement.
They added that he "was one of Hollywood's most iconic actors, who will be missed by many".
During a handprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in November 2020, Madsen reflected on his first visit to Hollywood in the early 1980s.
"I got out and I walked around and I looked and I wondered if there were someday, some way that that was going to be a part of me. And I didn't know because I didn't know what I was going to do at that point with myself," he said.
"I could have been a bricklayer. I could have been an architect. I could have been a garbage man. I could have been nothing. But I got lucky. I got lucky as an actor."
Michael Madsen, whose menacing characters in Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill made him a stand-out in Quentin Tarantino's films, has died. He was 66.
Madsen was found unresponsive in his home in Malibu, California, on Thursday morning and pronounced dead, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Watch Commander Christopher Jauregui said.
He is believed to have died of natural causes and authorities do not suspect any foul play was involved. Madsen's manager Ron Smith said cardiac arrest was the apparent cause.
Madsen's career spanned more than 300 credits stretching back to the early 1980s, many in low-budget films. But his most memorable screen moment may have been the sadistic torture of a captured police officer — while dancing to Stealers Wheel's Stuck in the Middle with You — as Mr Blonde in 1992's Reservoir Dogs.
He would become a Tarantino regular, appearing in the Kill Bill films and The Hateful Eight.
"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," his managers Smith and Susan Ferris and publicist Liz Rodriguez said in a statement.
They added that he "was one of Hollywood's most iconic actors, who will be missed by many".
During a handprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in November 2020, Madsen reflected on his first visit to Hollywood in the early 1980s.
"I got out and I walked around and I looked and I wondered if there were someday, some way that that was going to be a part of me. And I didn't know because I didn't know what I was going to do at that point with myself," he said.
"I could have been a bricklayer. I could have been an architect. I could have been a garbage man. I could have been nothing. But I got lucky. I got lucky as an actor."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Perth Now
Uma Thurman reveals the one reason she doesn't want to force her children to obey her
Uma Thurman does not want to force her children to obey her. The Kill Bill actress is a mother to three children: Maya, 26, and Levon, 23, from her marriage to Ethan Hawke, and Luna, 13, whose father is the financier Arpad 'Arki' Busson. Opening up about her busy life juggling her career and motherhood, Uma told The Sunday Times about her clear view on discipline when it comes to her kids: 'You don't want to make a girl be obedient. It's not in her best interests.'' She made the comments during a Zoom interview from her rural New York home. Uma also spoke warmly about the joys of her childrem's spirited independence, adding" 'It's kind of wonderful that they know the rules and don't always listen.' She added she reflects on her own youth when it comes to raising her family, adding: 'As a mother, the freedoms I was given as a teenage girl are mind-boggling. 'I mean, it's unimaginable. Those were different times.' Uma described her teenage years as marked by independence and self-reliance during her interview with The Sunday Times, By 15, she was earning money, navigating New York alone, and attending auditions with 'just a Filofax and a quarter in case I got lost and needed to call someone', she revealed. Her upbringing had encouraged autonomy – as her parents, Robert Thurman and Nena von Schlebrügge, were independent figures who allowed her to follow her path without restraint. She said: 'Both my parents did the same sort of thing when they were young. They were very independent. So I think there was a certain amount of being raised to be independent.' Uma shared her approach to parenting her own children, particularly when it comes to giving her eldest daughter, Maya, advice about her blossoming acting career. She said: 'Oh, she knows what she's doing. She went to Juilliard, thank God. She actually finished high school. 'And what I did learn (about mothering) is that nobody listens. So it's really about being there for them rather than telling them what to do.' She also spoke about allowing Maya freedom with her style, laughing her daughter has 'ransacked' her iconic 1990s wardrobe, including the very first Prada dress she wore to the Oscars. With her youngest now a teenager, Thurman described entering what she calls the 'sunset period' of motherhood. She added: 'I'm starting to think about what comes next, when I don't have to invest so much energy in shopping and driving and emailing teachers and all the things we do.'
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Perth Now
Uma Thurman opens up about intense physical preparation she underwent for Kill Bill movies
Uma Thurman has opened up about the intense physical preparation she underwent for the Kill Bill movies. The 55-year-old actress, renowned for her iconic role as The Bride in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Vol 1 and Vol 2, discussed her martial arts training during an interview about her new project, The Old Guard 2. Revealing her return to action films this year came without time for full training, Uma told The Sunday Times: 'Fortunately I had put in hundreds of hours learning how to hold a sword (for Kill Bill 1 and 2),' she said. In her new action film, a sequel to the 2020 Netflix action hit, Uma plays Discord, a 5,000-year-old immortal warrior who engages in an epic sword fight opposite Charlize Theron's character, Andromache, near a secret nuclear facility. Uma added about her Kill Bill muscle memory coming in handy during the shoot: 'You may not be limber and strong. 'But if your brain has learnt how to memorise sequences of movements, you can get back in that zone.' For Kill Bill, Uma trained for eight hours a day across three months in preparation for the role. That experience, she said, proved invaluable when returning to the genre. Her character in The Old Guard 2 marks her first sword-wielding performance since Quentin Tarantino's films, and it has been more than two decades since she last performed choreographed combat on screen. Uma's new film is directed by Victoria Mahoney and follows a group of age-old warriors with supernatural powers who fight to protect humanity. The original, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, was praised for its blend of grounded drama and stylised violence. Speaking about the appeal of The Old Guard, Uma said: 'I thought that first movie was really unusual, a superb female-led action film that had depth, drama and really beautiful, naturalistic acting.' She also credited her co-star and producer Charlize Theron, 48, as a major draw for signing on. Uma added: 'Charlize is a miraculous performer, a very powerful individual and as charismatic in person as on screen. 'And I liked the idea of playing a supporting role to another actress who I thought had done really significant work in the drama/action field.' Charlize, who also produced both instalments of The Old Guard, told The Sunday Times as part of its feature on Uma: 'I have always admired Uma from afar. From Dangerous Liaisons to Kill Bill, her work is a masterclass in finding the micro in characters. 'In moments I got so lost watching her in scenes we had together that I had to remind myself I was in the scene with her. She's that captivating.'
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Perth Now
Michael Madsen feared to have been worth as little as $400,000 at time of death
Michael Madsen may have been worth as little as $400,000 at the time of his death. The actor's finances are in the spotlight after a string of celebrity net worth sites updated their estimates of how much cash he had put away in the wake of his death aged 67 at his Malibu home on 3 July. Despite earning recognition for his roles in Quentin Tarantino films and more than 300 acting credits, Michael's net worth is said to be nowhere near what fans thought, with the sites estimating it was anywhere between $400,000 and $4 million. Legal website Trust Counsel have backed up the low estimates of his final worth by publishing an article headlined: 'Michael Madsen's Financials at Death Prove that Fame Doesn't Always Equal Wealth'. It reported: 'When someone as famous and lauded in the industry as Madsen passes, it's easy to believe that they pass with some sort of mass lump sum of wealth, that will now pass onto their loved ones. 'Unfortunately, that isn't always the case, and it isn't here: Madsen actually struggled to build financial stability not just throughout his lifetime, but even in his final days, and looking into his checkered financial past is a huge lesson on what it really means to leave a legacy.' Michael's life was blighted by financial troubles, which began as early as 2009 when he filed for bankruptcy, citing debts including $1 million and $25,000. This was just two years after he sold a Malibu home, reportedly netting nearly $8 million. Following this, Michael repeatedly appeared on California's list of top tax delinquents, owing $640,000 to the IRS before settling the debt. Legal issues and housing instability marked his later years. In 2022, Michael was arrested for trespassing on a property from which he had been evicted but remained due to a COVID-era eviction moratorium. In his final days, a source told The Sun Michael was 'scared of losing the house again' and was attempting to sell old cars and take on multiple projects to recover financially. He had been involved in 18 unreleased projects, seeking steady work and income. Michael's personal life was also turbulent. The suicide of his son Hudson in 2022 triggered legal battles and false domestic violence accusations. He spent time in rehab, which contributed to his ongoing financial instability. According to a death certificate published by TMZ, the Kill Bill and Reservoir Dogs star died of cardiac arrest caused by cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, and chronic alcoholism. The certificate also noted thromboembolic disease.
