Farewell to Michael Madsen, cult actor for Tarantino
Between cinema and poetry, Madsen leaves a void in the Hollywood world and among his fans. He was 67 years old
2' min read
2' min read
Giving him great notoriety was the psychopathic character of Mr. Blonde, who in an unforgettable scene from Reservoir Dogs tortures a police officer while dancing to the notes of Stuck In The Middle With You. Michael Madsen, an actor dear to Quentino Tarantino, who also wanted him in Kill Bill: Vol. 1, The Hateful Eight and Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood, was found dead in his Malibu home at dawn this morning. He was 67 years old. What killed him, explained his manager, Ron Smith, was cardiac arrest.
"Over the past two years, Madsen has done incredible work with independent film, including the films Resurrection Road, Concessions and Cookbook for Southern Housewives, and he was really looking forward to starting this new chapter in his life," his agents said. "Michael was also preparing to publish a new book of poetry entitled Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems."
Born in Chicago on 25 September 1957, the son of firefighter Calvin Christian Madsen and director Elaine Madsen (and brother of Oscar nominee Virginia), Madsen had started acting at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1980, working as an apprentice with John Malkovich and taking part in a production of Of Mice and Men. In 1982 he had appeared in two episodes of St. Elsewhere, the following year he had a small role in Matthew Broderick's hit WarGames.
After several performances in cinema (Diner, The Best, Racing With The Moon) and TV (Cagney & Lacey, Miami Vice, War Memories), Madsen had achieved fame in the 1990s, thanks to cult films such as Thelma & Louise and The Doors and then to his collaboration with Tarantino. His rich filmography comprises over 300 titles, including Donnie Brasco, Sin City, Mulholland Falls and Once Upon a Time in Mexico.
"He was one of Hollywood's most iconic actors, who will be missed by many," said his managers Smith and Susan Ferris and his publicist Liz Rodriguez. Madsen was also an accomplished poet, with several collections to his name, including Burning in Paradise, Expected Rain and his forthcoming book Tears for My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems.
