Michael Madsen | |
|---|---|
 Madsen in 2011 | |
| Born | Michael Søren Madsen (1957-09-25)September 25, 1957 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | July 3, 2025(2025-07-03) (aged 67) Malibu, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Maykl Madsen |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1982–2025 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 6, includingChristian |
| Relatives | Elaine Madsen (mother) Virginia Madsen (sister) |
Michael Søren Madsen (September 25, 1957 – July 3, 2025) was an American actor. He was widely known for starring inQuentin Tarantino's filmsReservoir Dogs (1992),Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004),The Hateful Eight (2015), andOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). His other film roles includedWarGames (1983),The Natural (1984),The Doors (1991),Thelma & Louise (1991),Free Willy (1993),Species (1995),Donnie Brasco (1997),Die Another Day (2002),Sin City (2005), andScary Movie 4 (2006). Madsen also voiced characters in video games such asGrand Theft Auto III (2001),Narc (2005), theDishonored series (2012–2017),The Walking Dead: Season Two (2014), andCrime Boss: Rockay City (2023). Madsen had seven children, including actorChristian Madsen.
Michael Søren Madsen was born inChicago on September 25, 1957,[1] the son ofElaine (née Melson), a filmmaker and author, and Calvin Christian Madsen, aWorld War IINavy veteran and firefighter with theChicago Fire Department.[2] His mother had Irish and Native American ancestry, while his paternal grandparents were Danish immigrants.[3] He had two sisters: actressVirginia and entrepreneur Cheryl.[4] His parents divorced in the 1960s; his mother, having been encouraged by film criticRoger Ebert, left the financial world to pursue a career in the arts. Madsen attendedNew Trier High School inWinnetka, Illinois.[5]
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Madsen began working at theSteppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, where he served as an apprentice underJohn Malkovich and appeared in a production ofOf Mice and Men.[6]
His first notable film role was a small part for the science fiction film,WarGames. He appeared inJohn Dahl's thrillerKill Me Again as criminal Vince Miller oppositeVal Kilmer andJoanne Whalley.[7] InQuentin Tarantino's directorial debut filmReservoir Dogs, Madsen played "Mr. Blonde", a cruel criminal.Steve Buscemi received the role of "Mr. Pink", which Madsen wanted because it had more scenes withHarvey Keitel.[6] ForPulp Fiction, Madsen declined the role of Vincent Vega, which went toJohn Travolta.
Madsen starred in the crime filmDonnie Brasco. He said of his later choice of film roles: "Some of them I'm only in for 10 minutes, but they bought my name, and they bought my face to put on the DVD box with a gun. What people don't always understand is that I established a certain lifestyle for my family back in the days ofSpecies andMulholland Falls andThe Getaway. I wasn't about to move my six kids into a trailer park... when people offered me work, it wasn't always the best, but I had to buy groceries and I had to put gas in the car."[6]
In 1993, Madsen appeared inFree Willy as Glen Greenwood, the apprehensive but devout foster father of the film's main character played byJason James Richter (a role that reprised in the second). Madsen played assassin Budd, the brother of Bill (David Carradine), inKill Bill: Volume 2.[8] In 2004, Tarantino discussed an idea for the film to unite Madsen and Travolta, as The Vega Brothers.[9] In 2007, Tarantino said the film (which he intended to callDouble V Vega) was "kind of unlikely now", because of the age of the actors and the onscreen deaths of both characters.[10]
Madsen appeared inUwe Boll'sBloodRayne, a film he said is "an abomination... It's a horrifying and preposterous movie."[11] He won Best Actor awards at theBoston Film Festival and New York International Independent Film and Video Festival for his performance inStrength and Honour. He played himself in themockumentaryBeing Michael Madsen. Madsen co-starred inComa, a Web series onCrackle.[12]
He playedJim Ricker, the old friend ofJack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), in theeighth season of24.[13] Madsen starred in the comedy filmLet the Game Begin. On January 5, 2012, he entered theCelebrity Big Brother house and he finished in 4th place in the competition. In February 2014, he playedLas Vegas casino mogulTed Binion inJosh Evans' filmDeath in the Desert.[14] The screenplay was written byJohn Steppling, based on the bookDeath in the Desert by crime writerCathy Scott.[15]In August 2014, Madsen starred in theKill Bill-themed music video for the song "Black Widow" byIggy Azalea featuringRita Ora.
Madsen starred in the ensemble western filmThe Hateful Eight. He was among a number of people rumored to have leaked the film's script before it was released, causing Tarantino to almost not make the film and eventually rewrite it.[16] It was later revealed that Madsen was not responsible for leaking the script.[citation needed] In 2016, he played a dramatized role of formerTexas Ranger Phil Ryan inReal Detective on theInvestigation Discovery network.[17] He was an executive producer in Vilan Trub's crime drama filmThe Dirty Kind, which is loosely inspired byAnthony Weiner.[18] In 2024, he played Kensei, a "white Samurai" operating an underground society in the thriller Dark feathers: Dance of the Geisha, directed by Crstal J Huang and Nicholas Ryan.[19] His performance in this thriller earned him the Best Supporting Actor award at the 2024 Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival.
Madsen had a daughter named Jessica (born March 24, 1979) from a relationship with Dana Mechling. He later married Georganne LaPiere, the half-sister ofCher; the two met in 1983, married in 1984, and divorced in 1988.[20] He was married to Jeannine Bisignano from 1991 to 1995, and they had two sons namedChristian and Max, both of whom became actors.[21]
In 1996, Madsen married DeAnna Morgan inOcho Rios while on a break from shootingDonnie Brasco in Jamaica.[8] They lived inMalibu, California, and had three sons named Luke, Kalvin, and Hudson; the latter took his own life in January 2022.[21] After 28 years of marriage, Madsen reportedly filed for divorce from Morgan in late 2024; in the filing, he claimed that they had been separated since 2022 after their son Hudson's suicide.[22] However, he took toInstagram to deny that he was filing for divorce.[23]
In February 2022, Madsen was arrested on a misdemeanor trespassing charge inMalibu, California.[24] In August 2024, he was arrested in Malibu on a battery charge after he reportedly assaulted his wife DeAnna Morgan. His bail was set at $20,000.[25] He was released from custody after posting the same bail.[26]
Madsen had a line ofhot sauces called American Badass.[27]
In 2002, Madsen received an award for his work with theShriners Hospital for Children.[28] In September 2009, Madsen announced his participation in the 26th annualLove Ride to help raise money for local charities.[29]Malcolm Forbes,Peter Fonda,Larry Hagman,Billy Idol,Bruce Springsteen, and other celebrities were also scheduled, but the event was canceled due to poor ticket sales and a decline in sponsorship.[30] In November 2016, Madsen hosted a one-night event called An Intimate Evening with Michael Madsen to benefit children's pediatric cancer for Advocate Children's Hospital and the Tyler Robinson Foundation.[31]
At 8:25 a.m.PDT on July 3, 2025, Madsen was found unresponsive by emergency responders at his home inMalibu, California. He was pronounced dead at the age of 67.[32] The cause of death was confirmed to be heart failure, with heart disease and alcoholism being contributing factors.[33] His ashes were originally retained by his widow DeAnna Morgan before being buried atMount Sinai Memorial Park.[34] On August 1, his frequent collaboratorQuentin Tarantino hosted a private memorial service at theVista Theatre.[35]
Madsen appeared in over 300 film and television productions since 1982.[38] According to the review aggregator siteRotten Tomatoes and film industry data websiteThe Numbers, his most critically acclaimed and commercially successful films areKill Me Again (1989),Reservoir Dogs (1992),Donnie Brasco (1997),Die Another Day (2002),Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003),Sin City (2005),Scary Movie 4 (2006),The Garden Left Behind (2019),Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), andQT8: The First Eight (2019).[39][40]
Sept. 25...Actor Michael Madsen is 63.
A prolific actor who appeared in more than 300 movies and television shows [...]
