Actor Michael Madsen Died On July 3
Michael Madsen, 67, was known for his roles in several Quentin Tarantino films, such as Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill: Vol. 2, The Hateful Eight, and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. He also appeared in 1994’s Wyatt Earp alongside Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, Dennis Quaid, Mark Harmon, Catherine O’Hara, and more. Madsen played Virgil Earp, Wyatt’s older brother, the US Marshal and City Marshal of Tombstone, Arizona.
Madsen returned to the Western movie genre for 2015’s The Hateful Eight, another collaboration with director Tarantino.
For this film, Madsen acted alongside Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Channing Tatum, and more star-studded names.
On July 3, Ron Smith, Madsen’s manager, confirmed the actor’s sudden passing to NBC. Smith and Madsen’s other representatives, Susan Ferris and Liz Rodriguez, revealed that their client had big plans for the future.
“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,” the statement to NBC read. “Michael was also preparing to release a new book called Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems, currently being edited.”
According to a social media post from Madsen, he had been working on the book since 2018.
“Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many,” they said.
Smith confirmed Madsen’s cause of death was a cardiac arrest.
Michael Madsen’s Sister Speaks Out
Madsen’s sister, Academy Award and Golden Globe-nominated actress Virginia Madsen, penned an emotional note to her brother on social media.
“My brother Michael has left the stage. He was thunder and velvet. Mischief wrapped in tenderness. A poet disguised as an outlaw. A father, a son, a brother—etched in contradiction, tempered by love that left its mark.”
She continued, “We’re not mourning a public figure. We’re not mourning a myth—but flesh and blood and ferocious heart. Who stormed through life loud, brilliant, and half on fire. Who leaves us echoes—gruff, brilliant, unrepeatable—half legend, half lullaby.”
“I’ll miss our inside jokes, the sudden laughter, the sound of him,” she said. “I’ll miss the boy he was before the legend; I miss my big brother. Thank you to everyone reaching out with love and memory. In time, we’ll share how we plan to celebrate his life—but for now, we stay close, and let the silence say what words can’t.”
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Madsen’s family and friends, including his wife, DeAnna, and his children.