Michael Madsen
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- September 25, 1957
- Died
- July 3, 2025
- Birthplace
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
Michael Madsen (Michael Søren Madsen, September 25, 1957 – July 3, 2025) was an American actor, poet, and photographer, born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Elaine, a filmmaker and author, and Calvin, a firefighter. He began his career 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 screen debut came in Against All Hope (1982), followed by a small role in WarGames (1983). His breakout performance was as the psychopathic Mr. Blonde in Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs (1992), which launched him into a long association with Tarantino — he appeared in five of his films, including Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004), The Hateful Eight (2015), and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). He also worked as a voice actor in video games including Grand Theft Auto III and DRIV3R. He was found unresponsive in his Malibu, California home on July 3, 2025, and died of cardiac arrest at age 67. His notable film credits include WarGames (1983) (Matthew Broderick, Daryl Hannah), Thelma & Louise (1991) (Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis), Reservoir Dogs (1992) (Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth), Free Willy (1993) (Jason James Richter, Leelee Sobieski), The Getaway (1994) (Harrison Ford, Rene Russo), Species (1995) (Sandra Bullock, Al Pacino), Donnie Brasco (1997) (Al Pacino, Johnny Depp), Die Another Day (2002) (Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) (Uma Thurman, David Carradine), Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) (Uma Thurman, David Carradine), Sin City (2005) (Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba), The Hateful Eight (2015) (Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell), and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) (Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt).
Filmography
- Sara Sarita
Sara Sarita TBA
Actor
- The Witching Hour
The Witching Hour TBA
Actor
Ava TBA
as Peter
Cookbook for Southern Housewives TBA
as Kingsley
Saturday at the Starlight TBA
as Frank Gunt
A Corpse in Kensington TBA
as Michael
The First Circle TBA
as Eli Brevil, Co-Producer
Concessions 2026
as Rex Fuel
Legend of the White Dragon 2026
as Max Reed
Blood Behind Us 2026
as Reed Philibosian
Mr. Wonderful 2026
as Brian Fenton
Demon Hunters 2026
Actor
Queen of Manhattan 2025
as District Attorney
The Things We Carry 2025
Actor
Sinatra! Eternity 2025
as Robert (Bob) Nelson
Resurrection Road 2025
as Quantrill
DinoGator 2024
as Layton
Prepare to Die 2024
as Sheriff Hansen
Dark Feathers: Dance of the Geisha 2024
as Kensei
Max Dagan 2024
as Don Clancy
Arena Wars 2024
as Samson
Final Wager 2024
as Ian
Chuck Zito: An American Story 2024
as Self
South of Hope Street 2024
as Benjamin
Spirit Riser 2024
as Narrator (voice)
Monster Mash 2024
as Doctor Frankenstein
Once Upon a Time in Hollyweird 2024
as Self
Baba Yaga: Assassins Revenge 2024
as Logan Bergman
Grace 2023
as Man (Voice)
Outlaw Johnny Black 2023
as Dutch
The Lurking Fear 2023
as Officer Hansen
Buckle Up 2023
Actor
Necronomicon 2023
Actor
Assault on Hill 400 2023
as General Cota
Waking Karma 2023
as Paul
The Wraith Within 2022
as Sheriff Townsend
American Badass: A Michael Madsen Retrospective 2022
as Self, Producer, Writer
Death Count 2022
as Detective Casey
Incarnation 2022
as Peter
Until We Meet Again 2022
as Detective Morrison
Damon's Revenge 2022
as Damon
Run Raven Run 2021
as Narrator (voice)
Christmas Thieves 2021
as Vince
Every Last One of Them 2021
as Bill, Executive Producer
American Night 2021
as Lord Samuel Morgan
Ten Million Throwaways 2021
as Narrator
Burial Ground Massacre 2021
as Damon
Red Prophecies 2021
as Richard Tyler
Playing with Stars 2021
Actor
- Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend
Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend 2021
as Self (archive footage)
Red Handed 2020
as Lou
Nishabdham 2020
as Richard Dawkins
Dirty Fears 2020
as Michael
The Garden Left Behind 2020
as Kevin
Unbelievable!!!!! 2020
as President Ben Dover
Shark Season 2020
as James
Puppy Love 2020
as Wesley
Serpent in the Bottle 2020
as Joe
Conjuring: The Book of the Dead 2020
as Jefferson
Angels Fallen 2020
as Balthazar
2 Graves in the Desert 2020
as Vince
Arctic Dogs 2019
as Duke (voice)
QT8: The First Eight 2019
as Self
Primitiva 2019
as Narrator (voice)
Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood 2019
as 'Bounty Law' - Sheriff Hackett
Rock, Paper, Scissors 2019
as Doyle Dechert
The Dirty Kind 2019
Executive Producer
Born2Race 2019
as Bobby Unser
Welcome to Acapulco 2019
as Hyde
Trading Paint 2019
as Linsky
Hangover in Death Valley 2018
as Ted (archive footage)
- Dead On Time
Dead On Time 2018
as Mike McGuirk
Assassins Revenge 2018
as Detective Frank McMillian
Megalodon 2018
as Admiral King
- A Night in Jail
A Night in Jail 2018
as Captain
Spatss! 2018
as Gang Leader
Q-4: Dream Corporation 2018
Actor
Dirty Dealing 2018
as Dean
Papa 2018
as Ivan
Love Addict 2018
as Mr. Dickinson
Garlic and Gunpowder 2018
as Jason
Grindhouse Nightmares 2018
Actor
- The Journey Ahead
The Journey Ahead 2018
as Max
The Broken Key 2017
as Tully DeMarco
Unfallen 2017
as General McCallister
The Wrong Neighbor 2017
as Coach Jaworski
Gasoline 2017
as Макс, баща на Дим
Devil's Domain 2017
as Bill
Along for the Ride 2016
as Self
Talons 2016
as George Fitzgerald
Vigilante Diaries 2016
as Moreau
Dennis Hopper: Uneasy Rider 2016
as Self
Last Man Club 2016
as Stearman Pilot
Back in the Day 2016
as Enzo
Magi 2016
as Lawrence Irlam
Kidnapped in Romania 2016
as Mihai
The Hateful Eight 2015
as Joe Gage
Flipped 2015
as Casey
Sacred Blood 2015
as Detective Brennan
Lumberjack Man 2015
as Dr. Peter Shirtcliff
Death in the Desert 2015
as Ray Easler, Executive Producer
The Lost Tree 2015
as John
Lady Psycho Killer 2015
as Doctor Douglass
Bikini Inception 2015
as Himself
No Deposit 2015
as Peter Shay
A Hitman in London 2015
as The Boss
Diamond Cartel 2015
as Mike
Hope Lost 2015
as Manol
Beyond the Game 2014
as Robert
Bra Wars – Hollywood’s Affair With The Bra 2014
as Self
Non escludo il ritorno 2014
as Paul Hummel
Water Wars 2014
as Bane
2047: Sights of Death 2014
as Lobo
The Ninth Cloud 2014
as Bob
Express 'Moscow-Russia' 2014
as продюсер Милы
Turn Around Jake 2014
as Russell O'Malley
I'm in Love with a Church Girl 2013
as Frank Harris
Terrible Angels 2013
as Ben Nolan
Lionhead 2013
as Walter Powell
A Sierra Nevada Gunfight 2013
as Sheriff Sawyer
Ashley 2013
as Bill
Nomad the Beginning 2013
as Wolf
Gabrielle 2013
as Edward Sheehan
ICE Agent 2013
as Carlos Garcia
Infected 2013
as Louis Hartley
Along the Roadside 2013
as Jerry
- Madoff: Made Off with America
Madoff: Made Off with America 2013
as Agent Kennedy
Alien Battlefield 2013
Actor
Garbage 2013
as Michael
Prince of the City 2012
as Ben Carlton
Magic Boys 2012
as Terence
Beyond the Trophy 2012
as Cole Lambert
Ace of Spades: Bad Destiny 2012
as Sef
Cole Younger & The Black Train 2012
as Marshall Stallings
Piranhaconda 2012
as Prof. Lovegrove
Sins 2012
as Don Mancino
Loosies 2012
as Lt. 'Sully' Sullivan
Eldorado 2012
as Ted
Dirty Little Trick 2011
as Vito
Not Another Not Another Movie 2011
as Lester Storm
Amsterdam Heavy 2011
as Keele
The Lion of Judah 2011
as Boss (voice)
The Forest 2011
as Lt. Brandon Ross
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair 2011
as Budd (Sidewinder)
The 5th Execution 2011
as Rik
A Cold Day in Hell 2011
as U.S. Marshal Stallings
The Brazen Bull 2010
Actor, Producer
Federal 2010
as Sam Gibson
Terror Trap 2010
as Hotel Operator
Trader Games 2010
as William
Six Days in Paradise 2010
as Rich McShane
Let the Game Begin 2010
as Dr. Turner
The Big I Am 2010
as Martell
The Killing Jar 2010
as Doe
Corruption.Gov 2010
as Senator John Mordire
The Portal 2010
as Dr. Azirra
Road of No Return 2009
as J. Marcone, Associate Producer
The Tomb 2009
as George
The Bleeding 2009
as Father Roy
Creepshow Raw: Insomnia 2009
as Barry
Gloves of Stone 2009
as Willie
Lost in the Woods 2009
as Stuart Bunka
Serbian Scars 2009
as Dreq
Green Lantern: First Flight 2009
as Kilowog (voice)
The Face is Familiar 2009
as Himself
The Way 2009
as Commander
Break 2009
as The Associate
Amazing Racer 2009
as Dave Blair
Hired Gun 2009
as Dan Moeller
You Might As Well Live 2009
as Clinton Manitoba
Deep Winter 2009
as Dean
Christmas Crash 2009
as Joseph Johnson
Outrage: Born in Terror 2009
as Farragut
Clear Lake, WI 2009
as The Reverend
House 2008
as Tin Man/Officer Lawdale
45 R.P.M. 2008
as Major Baxter
Hell Ride 2008
as The Gent
No Bad Days 2008
as Lester
A Moral Right: The Politics of Dirty Harry 2008
as Self
The Long Shadow of Dirty Harry 2008
as Self
The Craft of Dirty Harry 2008
as Self
The Evolution of Clint Eastwood 2008
as Self
The Business End: Violence in Cinema 2008
as Self
Crash and Burn 2008
as Vincent Scaillo
Vice 2008
as Max Walker, Executive Producer
Last Hour 2008
as Monk
Eyes Front 2008
Actor
Killer's Freedom 2008
as Leo Ibiza
Strength and Honour 2007
as Sean Kelleher
Cosmic Radio 2007
as Senator Atwood
Tooth and Nail 2007
as Jackal - Rover
Being Michael Madsen 2007
as Self, Producer
Croc 2007
as Croc Hawkins
Boarding Gate 2007
as Miles Rennberg
L.A. Dicks 2007
as Steven Miller
Living & Dying 2007
as Agent Lind
Machine 2007
as Ray
Afghan Knights 2007
as Cooper
UKM: The Ultimate Killing Machine 2006
as Major Blevins
The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Bird 2006
as Self
Canes 2006
as Guillermo List
Prohibition Opens the Floodgates 2006
as Self
Molls and Dolls: The Women of Gangster Films 2006
as Self
Film Noir: Bringing Darkness to Light 2006
as Self
Morality and the Code: A How-to Manual for Hollywood 2006
as Self
The Last Drop 2006
as J.T. Colt
Scary Movie 4 2006
as Oliver
All In 2006
as Seal
BloodRayne 2006
as Vladimir
Hoboken Hollow 2006
as J.T. Goldman
Southern Comfort 2006
Actor
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 2005
as Maugrim (voice)
Gangland: Bullets over Hollywood 2005
Actor
Law of Corruption 2005
as American
- The Distance: Boxing from the Inside Out
The Distance: Boxing from the Inside Out 2005
Actor
Chasing Ghosts 2005
as Kevin Harrison
Sin City 2005
as Bob
Jacked$ 2005
as Boss
Frankenstein 2004
as Detec. Harker
The Making of 'Kill Bill Vol. 2' 2004
as Self
Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade 2004
as Self
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 2004
as Budd 'Sidewinder'
Blueberry 2004
as Wallace Sebastian Blount
Vampires Anonymous 2003
as Geno
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 2003
as Budd
My Boss's Daughter 2003
as T.J.
44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shoot-Out 2003
as Frank McGregor
Pauly Shore Is Dead 2003
as Michael Madsen
Thelma & Louise: The Last Journey 2003
as Self
The Real Deal 2002
as Baker Jacks
Die Another Day 2002
as Falco
The Thief & the Stripper 2002
as Jimmie D.
Primal Instinct 2002
as Russ
- Welcome to America
Welcome to America 2002
as Special Agent Leon Fogel
42K 2001
as Narrator
L.A.P.D.: To Protect And To Serve 2001
as James Alexander
Choke 2001
as Will
Pressure Point 2001
as Jed Griffin
Extreme Honor 2001
as Sparks
Outlaw 2001
as Conner
The Ghost 2001
as Dan Olinghouse
Fall 2001
as Jeremy Banes
The Price of Air 2000
as Mr. Ball
High Noon 2000
as Frank Miller
Bad Guys 2000
as Jay Peters
The Stray 2000
as Ben
Sacrifice 2000
as Tyler Pierce
The Alternate 2000
as Agent Briggs
Luck of the Draw 2000
as Zippo
Voodoo Dawn 2000
as Frank Barlow
The Inspectors 2: A Shred of Evidence 2000
as Joe
Ultimate Target 2000
as Uncle
Flat Out 1999
as Gene
Ballad of the Nightingale 1999
as Giovanni
The Florentine 1999
as Whitey
Supreme Sanction 1999
as Dalton
Detour 1998
as Burl Rogers
Papertrail 1998
as FBI Agent Brad Abraham
The Sender 1998
as Dallas Grayson, Associate Producer
Species II 1998
as Press Lenox
- Steve McQueen: The King of Cool
Steve McQueen: The King of Cool 1998
as Self
Rough Draft 1998
as Haynes
Surface to Air 1997
as Gunnery Sgt. Zach Massin
The Girl Gets Moe 1997
as Donnelly
Catherine's Grove 1997
as Joe Mason
The Maker 1997
as Skarney
Executive Target 1997
as Nick James, Associate Producer
Donnie Brasco 1997
as Dominick 'Sonny Black' Napolitano
The Last Days of Frankie the Fly 1996
as Sal
The Winner 1996
as Wolf
Mulholland Falls 1996
as Eddie Hall
Red Line 1995
as Mr. Lawrence
Man with a Gun 1995
as John Wilbur Hardin
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home 1995
as Glen Greenwood
Species 1995
as Preston Lennox
Wyatt Earp 1994
as Virgil Earp
Dead Connection 1994
as Det. Matt Dickson
Season of Change 1994
as Randy Parker
Blue Tiger 1994
as Gun Salesman (uncredited)
The Getaway 1994
as Rudy Travis
Who Do You Think You're Fooling? 1994
as Mr. Blonde (archive footage)
Inside Edge 1993
as Richard Montana
Money for Nothing 1993
as Detective Laurenzi
Almost Blue 1993
as Morris
Free Willy 1993
as Glen Greenwood
Beyond the Law 1993
as Blood
A House in the Hills 1993
as Mickey
Trouble Bound 1993
as Harry Talbot
To Kill For 1992
as Cliff Burden
Reservoir Dogs 1992
as Mr. Blonde / Vic Vega
Baby Snatcher 1992
as Cal Hudson
Straight Talk 1992
as Steve
Thelma & Louise 1991
as Jimmy
The Doors 1991
as Tom Baker
The End of Innocence 1990
as Earl
Montana 1990
as Pierce
Kill Me Again 1989
as Vince Miller
Blood Red 1989
as Enzio
Iguana 1988
as Sebastián
Shadows in the Storm 1988
as Earl
The Killing Time 1987
as Stu
The Natural 1984
as Bump Bailey
Racing with the Moon 1984
as Frank
Diner 1983
as Boogie
WarGames 1983
as Steve
Special Bulletin 1983
as Jimmy Lenox
Against All Hope 1982
as Cecil Moe
Credits from TMDB.