Michael Madsen, 'Reservoir Dogs' and 'Kill Bill' star, dies at 67
By ANDREW DALTON and ITZEL LUNA
Michael Madsen, the actor best known for his coolly menacing, steely-eyed, often sadistic characters in the films of Quentin Tarantino including 'Reservoir Dogs' and 'Kill Bill: Vol. 2,' has died.
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. He was 67.
Madsen's career spanned more than 300 credits stretching back to the early 1980s, many in low-budget and independent films. He often played low-level thugs, gangsters and shady cops in small roles. Tarantino would use that identity, but make him a main character.
His torture of a captured police officer in Tarantino's 1992 directorial debut 'Reservoir Dogs,' in which Madsen's black-suited bank robber Vic 'Mr. Blonde' Vega severs the man's ear while dancing to Stealers Wheel's "Stuck in the Middle with You,' was an early career-defining moment for both director and actor.
He would become a Tarantino regular. He had a small role as the cowboy-hatted desert dweller Budd, a member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, in 2003's 'Kill Bill: Vol. 1," then a starring role the following year in the sequel, in which he battles with Uma Thurman's protagonist The Bride and buries her alive.
Madsen also appeared in Tarantino's 'The Hateful Eight' and "Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood." He was an alternate choice to play the hit man role that revived John Travolta's career in 1994's 'Pulp Fiction.' The character, Vincent Vega, is the brother of Madsen's 'Reservoir Dogs' robber in Tarantino's cinematic universe.
Madsen was born in Chicago to a family of three children. His sister is Oscar-nominated 'Sideways' actor Virginia Madsen.
He performed on stage with Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company alongside actors including John Malkovich.
During a handprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in November 2020, Michael 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.'
His first film role of any significance was in the 1983 hacker thriller 'WarGames' with Matthew Broderick. The following year he played pro baseball player Bump Bailey alongside Robert Redford in 'The Natural.'
He spent much of the rest of the 1980s doing one-off guest roles on television dramas including 'Miami Vice' and 'Quantum Leap.'
1991 would bring a career boost with roles in 'The Doors," where he played a buddy of Val Kilmer's Jim Morrison, and 'Thelma and Louise' where he played the boyfriend of Susan Sarandon's Louise.
Then would come 'Reservoir Dogs.'
In 1995, he played a black ops mercenary in the sci-fi thriller 'Species' and in 1997 he was third billed after Al Pacino and Johnny Depp as a member of a crew of gangsters in 'Donnie Brasco.'
He occasionally played against type. In the 1993 family orca adventure 'Free Willy' he was the foster father to the orphan protagonist.
Madsen would return to smaller roles but worked constantly in the final two decades of his career.
'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. 'Michael was also preparing to release a new book called 'Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems' currently being edited.'
They added that he "was one of Hollywood's most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.'
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Michael Madsen, ‘Reservoir Dogs' and ‘Kill Bill' Star, Dies at 67
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Madsen, the actor best known for his coolly menacing, steely-eyed, often sadistic characters in the films of Quentin Tarantino including 'Reservoir Dogs' and 'Kill Bill: Vol. 2,' has died. 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. He was 67. Madsen's career spanned more than 300 credits stretching back to the early 1980s, many in low-budget and independent films. He often played low-level thugs, gangsters and shady cops in small roles. Tarantino would use that identity, but make him a main character. His torture of a captured police officer in Tarantino's 1992 directorial debut 'Reservoir Dogs,' in which Madsen's black-suited bank robber Vic 'Mr. Blonde' Vega severs the man's ear while dancing to Stealers Wheel's 'Stuck in the Middle with You' was an early career-defining moment for both director and actor. Madsen told the Associated Press in 2012 that he hated having to do the scene, especially after the actor playing the officer, Kirk Baltz, ad-libbed a line where he begged for his life because he had children. 'I just said, 'Oh my God,' I couldn't do it, I didn't want to do it,' Madsen said. 'Acting is such a humiliating profession.' He would become a Tarantino regular. He had a small role as the cowboy-hatted desert dweller Budd, a member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, in 2003's 'Kill Bill: Vol. 1,' then a starring role the following year in the sequel, in which he battles with Uma Thurman's protagonist The Bride and buries her alive. Madsen also appeared in Tarantino's 'The Hateful Eight' and 'Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood.' He was an alternate choice to play the hit man role that revived John Travolta's career in 1994's 'Pulp Fiction.' The character, Vincent Vega, is the brother of Madsen's 'Reservoir Dogs' robber in Tarantino's cinematic universe. His sister, Oscar-nominated 'Sideways' actor Virginia Madsen, was among those paying him tribute on Thursday. 'He was thunder and velvet. Mischief wrapped in tenderness. A poet disguised as an outlaw. A father, a son, a brother—etched in contradiction, tempered by love that left its mark,' she said in a statement. 'I'll miss our inside jokes, the sudden laughter, the sound of him. I'll miss the boy he was before the legend. I miss my big brother.' His 'Hateful Eight' co-star and fellow Tarantino favorite Walton Goggins celebrated him on Instagram. 'Michael Madsen… this man… this artist… this poet… this rascal…' Goggins wrote. 'Aura like no one else. Ain't enough words so I'll just say this…. I love you buddy. A H8TER forever.' James Woods, Madsen's co-star in two films, wrote on X, 'I was always touched by his sweet nature and generosity, the absolute opposite of the 'tough guys' he portrayed so brilliantly.' Madsen was born in Chicago to a family of three children. He performed on stage with the city's Steppenwolf Theatre Company alongside actors including John Malkovich. 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.' His first film role of any significance was in the 1983 hacker thriller 'WarGames' with Matthew Broderick. The following year he played pro baseball player Bump Bailey alongside Robert Redford in 'The Natural.' He spent much of the rest of the 1980s doing one-off guest roles on television dramas including 'Miami Vice' and 'Quantum Leap.' 1991 would bring a career boost with roles in 'The Doors,' where he played a buddy of Val Kilmer's Jim Morrison, and 'Thelma and Louise' where he played the boyfriend of Susan Sarandon's Louise. Then would come 'Reservoir Dogs.' In 1995, he played a black ops mercenary in the sci-fi thriller 'Species' and in 1997 he was third billed after Al Pacino and Johnny Depp as a member of a crew of gangsters in 'Donnie Brasco.' He occasionally played against type. In the 1993 family orca adventure 'Free Willy' he was the foster father to the orphan protagonist. Madsen would return to smaller roles but worked constantly in the final two decades of his career. Madsen had six children. He had struggled in recent years after the 2022 death of one of his sons, Hudson. 'Losing a child is the hardest and most painful experience that can happen in this world,' Madsen said in an Instagram post last year. He said the loss put a strain on his marriage to third wife, DeAnna Madsen. He was arrested on suspicion of domestic battery last year, but was not charged. He filed for divorce, but asked that the filing be dismissed just weeks later. He had previously been arrested twice on suspicion of DUI, most recently in 2019, when he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor. '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. 'Michael was also preparing to release a new book called 'Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems' currently being edited.'
Japan Today
2 days ago
- Japan Today
Michael Madsen, 'Reservoir Dogs' and 'Kill Bill' star, dies at 67
Michael Madsen appears at "The Hateful Eight" press line at Comic-Con International on July 11, 2015, in San Diego. By ANDREW DALTON and ITZEL LUNA Michael Madsen, the actor best known for his coolly menacing, steely-eyed, often sadistic characters in the films of Quentin Tarantino including 'Reservoir Dogs' and 'Kill Bill: Vol. 2,' has died. 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. He was 67. Madsen's career spanned more than 300 credits stretching back to the early 1980s, many in low-budget and independent films. He often played low-level thugs, gangsters and shady cops in small roles. Tarantino would use that identity, but make him a main character. His torture of a captured police officer in Tarantino's 1992 directorial debut 'Reservoir Dogs,' in which Madsen's black-suited bank robber Vic 'Mr. Blonde' Vega severs the man's ear while dancing to Stealers Wheel's "Stuck in the Middle with You,' was an early career-defining moment for both director and actor. He would become a Tarantino regular. He had a small role as the cowboy-hatted desert dweller Budd, a member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, in 2003's 'Kill Bill: Vol. 1," then a starring role the following year in the sequel, in which he battles with Uma Thurman's protagonist The Bride and buries her alive. Madsen also appeared in Tarantino's 'The Hateful Eight' and "Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood." He was an alternate choice to play the hit man role that revived John Travolta's career in 1994's 'Pulp Fiction.' The character, Vincent Vega, is the brother of Madsen's 'Reservoir Dogs' robber in Tarantino's cinematic universe. Madsen was born in Chicago to a family of three children. His sister is Oscar-nominated 'Sideways' actor Virginia Madsen. He performed on stage with Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company alongside actors including John Malkovich. During a handprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in November 2020, Michael 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.' His first film role of any significance was in the 1983 hacker thriller 'WarGames' with Matthew Broderick. The following year he played pro baseball player Bump Bailey alongside Robert Redford in 'The Natural.' He spent much of the rest of the 1980s doing one-off guest roles on television dramas including 'Miami Vice' and 'Quantum Leap.' 1991 would bring a career boost with roles in 'The Doors," where he played a buddy of Val Kilmer's Jim Morrison, and 'Thelma and Louise' where he played the boyfriend of Susan Sarandon's Louise. Then would come 'Reservoir Dogs.' In 1995, he played a black ops mercenary in the sci-fi thriller 'Species' and in 1997 he was third billed after Al Pacino and Johnny Depp as a member of a crew of gangsters in 'Donnie Brasco.' He occasionally played against type. In the 1993 family orca adventure 'Free Willy' he was the foster father to the orphan protagonist. Madsen would return to smaller roles but worked constantly in the final two decades of his career. '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. 'Michael was also preparing to release a new book called 'Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems' currently being edited.' They added that he "was one of Hollywood's most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.' © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
SoraNews24
27-06-2025
- SoraNews24
McDonald's Japan taps three '80s anime legends for a moving, nostalgic video【Video】
Three of the greatest anime series ever produced featured in video that's not quite as simple as it might look. Young diners are a big part of fast food chains' clientele, and so it's no surprise that McDonald's Japan often has tie-ups with popular contemporary anime series and characters. In just the past few months, we've seen collaborations with Pokémon, Chiikawa, and Hatsune Miku, for example. But for its latest anime endeavor, McDonald's Japan is widening its scope and looking back to the '80s, creating a heartwarming video featuring three all-time classics of Japanese animation. Things start off with a finger pressing down on a boombox play button, and it's not just the electronics design but the hand-drawn and hand-painted artwork that immediately tells us we've gone back a few decades, and we get further confirmation as Yusaku Godai and Kyoko Otonashi make their first appearances. The two are the main characters of Maison Ikkoku, a landmark romantic comedy from Rumiko Takahashi (creator of Inuyasha and Ranma 1/2) that aired on Japan TV from 1986 to 1988. Yusaku and Kyoko aren't the only '80s anime stars here, though. Next up are Madoka Ayukawa and Kyosuke Kasuga, hailing from Kimagure Orange Road, an anime series broadcast in 1987 and 1988. Kimagure Orange Road was also a romantic comedy, with Kyosuke being a recent transfer to Madoka's school who's trying to hide he fact that he has psychic powers, and Madoka herself having aspects of her life that she keeps just as tightly under wraps as Kyosuke does his secret. And finally, we come to Lin Minmei and Hikaru Ichijo, first seen in 1982's Macross TV series, and then in 1984's Do You Remember Love? theatrical anime retelling, from which the clips in McDonald's video are taken. For extra sentimental seasoning, the video is set to 'I Feel Coke,' a Japanese Coca-Cola commercial tune from the 1980s that's an unforgettable audio representation of the era within Japanese pop culture. ▼ An extended version of the video, with some different anime images. Like the shorter version, it preserves the anime's original aspect ratios. The title of the video is Ashita mo Waraou, Ano Koro mo Ima mo, which translates to 'Let's Smile Tomorrow, in Those Days and Now Too.' Interspersed with the cuts of '80s anime are scenes of people enjoying life and enjoying McDonald's, some of them old enough to have been in the target market for the featured anime when they were first airing, and others, like 25-year-old idol singer Rena Moriya, of Sakurazaka 46, considerably younger. ▼ Rena Moriya Japan is experiencing a wave of '80s nostalgia these days. Part of that is just the cyclical nature of pop culture, with styles and motifs from the era having progressed from feeling outdated to freshly retro in the minds of young people. Japan being in the midst of an economic slump also has more than a few people, regardless of age, looking longingly at the rosier business climate of the early to mid-'80s, when it looked like the boom times would never end. And yet, the video isn't just a way of saying 'The good old days sure were good, weren't they?' As fans of the featured anime know, while Maison Ikkoku, Kimagure Orange Road, and Macross are all fundamentally positive-minded series, none of them is all sunshine and rainbows. Each one has a love triangle as a major part of its storyline, and none of them take the common modern-day anime writing escape route of ending with a vague, non-conclusive final act that keeps all of the players' relationships in a will-they-or-won't-they balancing act so that viewers can create whatever head cannon they want for how the situation sorted itself out with no hurt feelings. There are characters who get their hearts absolutely crushed in Maison Ikkoku, Kimagure Orange Road, and Macross, and part of what makes them all incredible series is how they show that even when you put everything you've got into something and don't get the ending you wanted, you have to find a way to pick yourself up and find a new source of happiness. ▼ Shine on, Mitaka. And that's not even getting into all the other trials and tribulations the characters face, such as figuring out what your professional calling is in life, being trapped in a time warp, or fighting off an alien invasion. So yeah, on the surface the video can be seen as just a way to remind everyone that anime, burgers, and soda have all been very enjoyable things since the '80s, but there's also the message that even when times are tough, we can find a way to get through them with the help of friends, family, and the other people we love, including ourselves. Source: Twitter/@McDonaldsJapan via Jin Top image: Twitter/@McDonaldsJapan Insert images: Twitter/@McDonaldsJapan, YouTube/マクドナルド公式（McDonald's） ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! Follow Casey on Twitter, where putting Macross, Orange Road, and Maison Ikkoku in the same ad makes it feel like he's being personally targeted by McDonald's Japan.
