NEWS / Actor Michael Madsen died from heart failure-death certificate

US actor Michael Madsen, best known for his “tough-guy” roles in Reservoir Dogs (1992), Donnie Brasco (1997), and Kill Bill (2004), died from heart failure, according to his death certificate, as reported by NBC Los Angeles.

The Hollywood star was found unresponsive at his Malibu home on Thursday, July 3. He was dead at the age of 57 by police deputies responding to a 911 later that day.

Madsen’s cardiologist, who also signed the actor’s death certificate, indicated that heart failure was the main cause of death, with heart disease and alcoholism listed as contributing factors. Since the death certificate was signed by the cardiologist who had been treating Madsen, an autopsy will not be conducted.

A native of Chicago, Madsen came into the world of acting through the Steppenwold Theatre Company. His first Hollywood role came at the age of 25 in 1983 techno-thriller War Games, directed by John Badham. However, throughout the 1980s, the actor was not particularly well known and only appeared in minor roles.

In 1989, the budding actor played a psychopathic man in neo-noir crime film Kill Me Again, opposite Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley. In 1991, he collaborated with Kilmer again, this time playing the friend of Kilmer’s Jim Morrison in The Doors and also appeared opposite Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis in Ridley Scott’s Thelma & Louise.

This minor recognition led to one of Madsen’s most iconic roles of the sadistic bank robber Vic Vega, a.k.a Mr. Blonde, in Quentin Tarantino’s breakthrough 1992 crime film Reservoir Dogs, opposite Harvey Keitel (“Mr. White”), Tim Roth (“Mr. Orange”), and Steve Buscemi (“Mr. Pink”).

Madsen’s success in Resevoir Dogs led to notable roles in Free Willy (1993), Species (1995), Donnie Brasco (1997), Die Another Day (2002), Sin City (2005), and Scary Movie 4 (2006). He also lent his voice to characters in video games, including Toni Cipriani in Grand Theft Auto III (2001) and John Tanner in Driv3r (2004).

The star resumed his collaboration with Quentin Tarantino, playing the villainous Budd opposite Uma Thurman in Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) and Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004). He also appeared in Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight (2015) and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).

Madsen was married 3 times and had 6 children, including actor Christian Madsen, best known for his roles in Palo Alto (2013) and Divergent (2014), and Hudson Madsen, who tragically committed suicide in 2022.