The actor’s manager, Ron Smith, confirmed the death and added that he appears to have died from cardiac arrest, according to the New York Post.
Madsen was pronounced dead at his home by first responders at 8:25 a.m., the L.A. Sheriff’s office told the media.
“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.,” Madsen’s managers Susan Ferris and Ron Smith, and publicist Liz Rodriguez said in a statement.
First responders were called to Madsen’s home early on Thursday, but police have not reported who made the call, according to TMZ.
Born in Chicago in 1957, Madsen got his first big break in the 1983 sci-fi thriller WarGames, but he zoomed to national stardom by playing the sadistic “Mr Blonde” in director Quentin Tarantino’s 1992 crime flick, Reservoir Dogs, where he danced around a victim to the tune of the Stealers Wheel’s hit “Stuck in the Middle with You” and sliced off the victim’s ear.
He went on to acclaim starring as “Budd” in Tarantino’s Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), and also had featured roles in such films as The Hateful Eight (2015) and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).
Upon news of Madsen’s passing, friend and fellow actor Harvey Keitel lamented, “We’ve lost another great American poet. Farewell, my dear friend.”
“I’ll never forget one of the best scenes I’ve ever seen on film, of you and Chris Penn fighting in reservoir dogs. A great love scene. Give Chris a hug for me,” Keitel added.
“I had the pleasure of working with Michael Madsen on ‘Kill Bill’ & several other films!” actress Vivica A. Fox told the Post. “Michael was a talented man with an AMAZING on screen presence! My deepest condolences & prayers to his family. #GoneToSoon #RestInParadise.”
Madsen led an often-troubled life, though, and had multiple run-ins with the law, and also suffered from substance abuse.
Just last year, Madsen was arrested for domestic violence after an incident with his wife, DeAnna.
The actor was also arrested and charged with trespassing the year before after he entered a neighbor’s property without permission.
In April of 2019, Madsen was arrested and charged with drunk driving. He was later sentenced for a four-day jail stint for the incident.
The 2019 arrest cost him a $100,000 paycheck for a role in the film Confessions of a Serial Killer after the production decided not to include him in the film.
Madsen also had legal troubles for drunk driving back in 2012 when he was arrested after police observed him driving erratically. The actor struck a plea deal for the arrest and promised to attend AA meetings. Unfortunately, he failed to uphold the agreement and his probation was revoked.
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