Michael Madsen, star of 'Reservoir Dogs' and 'Kill Bill', dies at 67

His publicist told CNN that he suffered a cardiac arrest and was found unresponsive

Last updated:
Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Entertainment Editor
2 MIN READ
Michael Madsen
Michael Madsen
AP

Michael Madsen, the gravel-voiced actor known for his tough-guy roles in Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, has died at the age of 67, his publicist Liz Rodriguez confirmed.

Rodriguez told CNN that Madsen suffered a cardiac arrest and was found unresponsive at his Malibu home on Thursday morning.

No foul play is suspected, and the death appears to be from natural causes, according to the same report.

“Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many,” read a joint statement from his managers Susan Ferris and Ron Smith of Bohemia Entertainment, along with Rodriguez.

Sgt. Jauregui, watch commander at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Lost Hills Station, confirmed to CNN that deputies responded to the actor’s residence, where he was pronounced dead at 8:25 a.m. local time.

A prolific performer with a brooding presence, Madsen carved out a distinctive niche in Hollywood, often portraying volatile, charismatic characters in gritty dramas and cult classics.

He was undoubtedly a cornerstone of Quentin Tarantino’s cinematic universe, embodying the director’s love for morally complex, charismatic antiheroes. His performance as Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs helped cement Tarantino’s status as a bold new voice in filmmaking, with Madsen’s chilling yet magnetic presence setting the tone for the film’s brutal, stylish aesthetic. Tarantino often referred to Madsen as part of his creative inner circle, originally envisioning him for major roles in Pulp Fiction and beyond. Their collaborations brought an edge and authenticity to Tarantino’s films that made Madsen a defining presence in the director’s gritty, genre-bending world.

Manjusha Radhakrishnan
Manjusha RadhakrishnanEntertainment Editor
Manjusha Radhakrishnan has been slaying entertainment news and celebrity interviews in Dubai for 18 years—and she’s just getting started. As Entertainment Editor, she covers Bollywood movie reviews, Hollywood scoops, Pakistani dramas, and world cinema. Red carpets? She’s walked them all—Europe, North America, Macau—covering IIFA (Bollywood Oscars) and Zee Cine Awards like a pro. She’s been on CNN with Becky Anderson dropping Bollywood truth bombs like Salman Khan Black Buck hunting conviction and hosted panels with directors like Bollywood’s Kabir Khan and Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh. She has also covered film festivals around the globe. Oh, and did we mention she landed the cover of Xpedition Magazine as one of the UAE’s 50 most influential icons? She was also the resident Bollywood guru on Dubai TV’s Insider Arabia and Saudi TV, where she dishes out the latest scoop and celebrity news. Her interview roster reads like a dream guest list—Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Shah Rukh Khan, Robbie Williams, Sean Penn, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Joaquin Phoenix, and Morgan Freeman. From breaking celeb news to making stars spill secrets, Manjusha doesn’t just cover entertainment—she owns it while looking like a star herself.
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