Actor Michael Madsen passed away at his residence in California on Thursday morning, according to reports from U.S. media outlets. He was 67 years old.
Authorities responded to a 911 call at his Malibu home and found him unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at 08:25 local time (15:25 GMT), The Hollywood Reporter stated.
A representative indicated that the actor is believed to have died of cardiac arrest.
Madsen was a prolific actor, widely recognized for his roles in Quentin Tarantino’s films such as Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill: Vol. 2, The Hateful Eight, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
In Reservoir Dogs, a seminal film of the 1990s, he portrayed Mr. Blonde, a character who shocked audiences with a scene involving the cutting off of a policeman’s ear.
During his four-decade career, Madsen also appeared in numerous television roles.
Across both television and film, he frequently portrayed law enforcement figures like sheriffs and detectives, in addition to portraying criminals, such as a washed-up hitman in the Kill Bill franchise.
In recent years, he lent his voice to video games, including Grand Theft Auto III and the Dishonored series.
Michael Madsen was born in Chicago in September 1957. His father was a World War II Navy veteran who later became a firefighter, and his mother was a filmmaker.
He was the brother of Virginia Madsen, renowned for her roles in films such as Sideways, for which she received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations.
He was married three times and is survived by four children, including actor Christian Madsen.
According to People magazine, Madsen divorced his wife of 28 years, DeAnna, in 2024, following the death of their son, Hudson.
“My brother Michael has left the stage,” his sister Virginia said in a statement to Variety.
“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.”