BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 20: Michael Madsen attends the 25th Annual Arpa International … More
Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill star Michael Madsen, who died Thursday, once said that some of his characters were too frightening for their own good.
Madsen was found unresponsive at his Malibu, Calif., Thursday morning, according to NBC Los Angeles. He was 67.
Per NBC LA, Madsen’s manager, Ron Smith, said the prolific actor died of cardiac arrest.
Michael Madsen, who was the brother of fellow actor Virgina Madsen, had amassed more than 325 screen credits throughout his acting career, which dated back to 1982, according to his IMDb profile.
In addition to starring roles in the Quentin Tarantino film classics Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2, Michael Madsen also starred in Tarantino’s acclaimed Western The Hateful Eight. Madsen also played Sheriff Hacket in the faux TV show Bounty Law in Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood.
Madsen’s screen credits also include such films as Donnie Brasco, Free Willy, Species and War Games and he appeared in several guest roles in such TV series as Blue Bloods and 24.
Madsen told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018 that his performances in some of his films were so real (remember how he gleefully sliced off a captive’s ear while dancing to Stealer’s Wheel’s “Stuck in the Middle With You” in Reservoir Dogs?), that it unnerved his fans in real life.
“Fame is a two-edged sword. There are a lot of blessings but also a lot of heavy things that come with it,” Madsen told THR. “I think it has a lot to do with the characters I’ve played. I think I’ve been more believable than I should have been. I think people really fear me. They see me and go: “Holy s—, there’s that guy!”
To the contrary, though, Madsen told THR that he’s “not that guy.”
I’m just an actor. I’m a father, I’ve got seven children. I’m married, I’ve been married 20 years,” Madsen told THR in 2018.
“When I’m not making a movie, I’m home, in pajamas, watching The Rifleman on TV, hopefully with my 12-year-old making me a cheeseburger,” Madsen added. “I sure as hell had my rabble-rousing days, but sooner or later you have to get over that and move on.”
LOS ANGELES – APRIL 8: Actor Michael Madsen (L) and director Quentin Tarantino pose at the … More
Michael Madsen Had Several More Screen Projects In The Works
Per Michael Madsen’s IMDb profile, the actor had 18 projects that he was working on at the time of his death.
In a statement to NBC LA, Madsen’s managers Susan Ferris and Ron Smith and publicist Liz Rodriguez said. “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 continued. “Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.”
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2025/07/03/michael-madsen-said-some-of-his-roles-made-fans-fear-him-in-real-life/