Actor Michael Madsen, best known for his roles in Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 has died aged 67.
Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1957, Madsen’s mother Elaine was a filmmaker and author while his father Calvin was a World War II Navy veteran and a firefighter with the Chicago Fire Department.
It has been confirmed by his manager, Ron Smith, that the actor died Thursday morning after suffering a cardiac arrest.
After his parents divorced in the 1960s, Maden’s mother was encouraged to pursue a career in the arts, encouraged by film critic Roger Ebert.
His siblings are Cheryl Madsen, an entrepreneur, and Academy Award nominee Virginia Madsen.
As a teenager Madsen worked at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, where he counted John Malkovich as a mentor.
His first notable screen role was in the science fiction film WarGame in 1983, going on to appear in Killing Time, Blood Red and Thelma & Louise.
But it was over a decade on from his first part that his break-out role came in Quentin Tarantino’s 1992 directorial debut Reservoir Dogs, in which he played criminal Mr. Blonde.
In the next few years he was seen in the Free Willy franchise, Mulholland Falls and Die Another Day, before other notable roles came in The Kill Bill films in 2003 and 2004.
In the two decades since then, Madsen was also cast in Sin City, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Scary Movie 4.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
