Reservoir Dogs Star Michael Madsen Dies at 67

Reservoir Dogs star Michael Madsen has died at age 67. His death was confirmed by authorities and his representatives after being found unresponsive in his home in Malibu, California. NBC Los Angeles reported that Madsen’s manager Ron Smith confirmed the actor died of natural causes and no foul play is suspected. Smith noted that the cause of death was attributed to cardiac arrest. Michael Madsen was best known for his collaborations with Quentin Tarantino, including the director’s first feature film Reservoir Dogs where he played Mr. Blonde. He would go on to also star in Kill Bill, The Hateful Eight, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as well.

Madsen was also Tarantino’s first pick for Vincent, the character that John Travolta went on to play. Tarantino wrote the part for the actor, but Madsen had committed to star in Kevin Costner’s Wyatt Earp just as Tarantino was finishing the script. Madsen was very vocal about some of his other career choices, such as starring in movies that weren’t of the highest caliber. The actor noted that he had a big family with six kids that he had to provide for and was willing to do any project that came his way as a result.

However, this kind of availability also opened him up to star in a wide variety of video games as well. Madsen starred in some great games such as Grand Theft Auto 3, Dishonored, The Walking Dead, and Yakuza. He even reprised his role of Mr. Blonde for a Reservoir Dogs video game. His last video game role was in Crime Boss: Rockay City, a heist game that received mixed reception but caught eyes for its star-studded cast. The actor played one of the titular crime bosses in the game.

Michael Madsen has a whopping 328 acting credits to his name on IMDb and as many as 18 more productions still on the horizon. It’s unclear how many of those will actually see the light of day with him still in them, as it’s possible he didn’t finish or start some of these films before his passing. Nevertheless, it seems like we will still be getting a few Michael Madsen performances thanks to the work he put in before he died. Quentin Tarantino is expected to direct at least one more film and Michael Madsen was someone who frequently appeared in his casts, but it’s unclear if Tarantino had Madsen in mind for another role in his next film.

What is your favorite Michael Madsen performance? Let me know in the comments below.