Michael Madsen

Michael Madsen (September 25, 1957 – July 3, 2025) was an American actor. Alongside his frequent collaborations with Quentin Tarantino—Reservoir Dogs (1992), Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004), The Hateful Eight (2015), and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)—he is known for his appearances in films such as WarGames (1983), The Natural (1984), The Doors (1991), Thelma & Louise (1991), Free Willy (1993), Species (1995), Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995), Donnie Brasco (1997), Die Another Day (2002), Sin City (2005), and Scary Movie 4 (2006). He played voice roles in various video games, including Grand Theft Auto III (2001), Narc (2005), the Dishonored series (2012–2017), and Crime Boss: Rockay City (2023). Madsen has six children, including actor Christian Madsen.

Early life

Madsen was born on September 25, 1957, in Chicago, Illinois. His mother, Elaine (née Melson), was a filmmaker and author. His father, Calvin Christian Madsen, was a World War II Navy veteran and a firefighter with the Chicago Fire Department. His parents divorced in the 1960s, and his mother left the financial world to pursue a career in the arts, encouraged by film critic Roger Ebert. His siblings were Cheryl Madsen, an entrepreneur, and Academy Award nominee Virginia Madsen. Madsen's paternal grandparents were Danish, while his mother is Irish and Native American.

Career

Madsen began working at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, where he served as an apprentice under John Malkovich and appeared in a production of Of Mice and Men.

His first notable film role was a small part for the science fiction film, WarGames. He appeared in John Dahl’s thriller Kill Me Again as criminal Vince Miller opposite Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley. In Quentin Tarantino's directorial debut film Reservoir Dogs, Madsen played "Mr. Blonde", a cruel criminal. Steve Buscemi received the role of "Mr. Pink", which Madsen wanted because it had more scenes with Harvey Keitel. In the Free Willy franchise, Madsen played Glenn Greenwood, the foster father to orphan Jesse. For Pulp Fiction, Madsen declined the role of Vincent Vega, which went to John Travolta. Madsen starred in the crime film Donnie Brasco. He once 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 of Species and Mulholland Falls and The Getaway. I wasn't about to move my six kids into a trailer park. So 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."

Madsen played assassin Budd, the brother of Bill (David Carradine), in Kill Bill: Volume 2. In 2004, Tarantino discussed an idea for the film to unite Madsen and Travolta, as The Vega Brothers. In 2007, Tarantino said the film (which he intended to call Double V Vega) was "kind of unlikely now", because of the age of the actors and the onscreen deaths of both characters.

Madsen appeared in Uwe Boll's BloodRayne, a film he described as "an abomination... It's a horrifying and preposterous movie." He won Best Actor awards at the Boston Film Festival and New York International Independent Film and Video Festival for his performance in Strength and Honour. He played himself in the mockumentary Being Michael Madsen. Madsen co-starred in Coma, a Web series on Crackle.

He played Jim Ricker, the old friend of Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), in the eighth season of 24. Madsen starred in the comedy film Let the Game Begin. On January 5, 2012, he entered the Celebrity Big Brother house, where he finished in 4th place in the final.

In February 2014, he played Las Vegas casino mogul Ted Binion in Josh Evans' film Death in the Desert. The screenplay was written by John Steppling, based on the book Death in the Desert by crime writer Cathy Scott.

In August 2014, he starred in the Kill Bill-themed music video for the song "Black Widow" by Iggy Azalea featuring Rita Ora.

Madsen starred in the ensemble western film The 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. It was later revealed Madsen was not responsible for leaking the script. In 2016, he played a dramatized role of former Texas Ranger Phil Ryan in Real Detective on the Investigation Discovery network.

Madsen was the executive producer for Vilan Trub's crime drama film The Dirty Kind, which is loosely inspired by Anthony Weiner.

Personal life and death

Madsen's first wife was Georganne LaPiere, half-sister of singer and actress Cher. They met in 1983, married in 1984, and divorced in 1988. He had a daughter named Jessica with Dana Mechling. Jessica was born March 24, 1979. He was married to Jeannine Bisignano from 1991 to 1995. They had two sons, Christian and Max, who are both actors.

In 1996, he married DeAnna Morgan. The couple married in Ocho Rios, Jamaica while Madsen was on a break from shooting Donnie Brasco. Together they had three sons, Luke, Kalvin and Hudson. Hudson died by suicide in January 2022.

Madsen had a line of hot sauces called American Badass.

In February 2022, Madsen was arrested on a misdemeanor trespassing charge.

On August 17, 2024, Madsen was arrested on a battery charge after he reportedly assaulted his wife. He was released after his bail was set at $20,000. Madsen was released from custody after posting the same bail. In October 2024, Madsen debunked rumors via Instagram that stated he was filing for divorce from his wife, DeAnna, of 28 years, regarding the death of their son Hudson.

Madsen received an award for his work with the Shriners Hospital for Children in 2002. He hosted the event An Intimate Evening with Michael Madsen to benefit Children's Pediatric Cancer in 2016.

On July 3, 2025, Madsen was found unresponsive by authorities responding to a 911 call at his home in Malibu, California. He was pronounced dead at the scene, aged 67. According to his manager, the cause of death was cardiac arrest.

Awards

• Lifetime Achievement Award at Red Hen Press in 2006.
• 9th Annual Malibu International Film Festival honored Madsen in April 2008 for his Achievements in the Art of Acting
• 1999 Firecracker Alternative Book Award for his book of poetry Burning In Paradise.
• 2007 Best Actor Boston Film Festival for Strength and Honour
• 2008 Best Actor New York International Independent Film & Video Festival for Strength and Honour.
• Madsen won Ensemble of the Year for The Hateful Eight at the Hollywood Film Awards in 2015.

Filmography