Kill Bill star Michael Madsen dies at 67

American actor Michael Madsen, whose collaborations with director Quentin Tarantino included Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, has died aged 67 after suffering a reported cardiac arrest.

Actor Michael Madsen, right, who has died aged 67, with director Quentin Tarantino in 2017. Picture: Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for Sundance Film Festival

American actor Michael Madsen – best known for his frequent collaborations with director Quentin Tarantino including Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill – died on Friday (AEST) at age 67 after suffering cardiac arrest, his management team said.

The actor was found unresponsive at his home in Malibu, they said.

“Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many,” his managers Susan Ferris and Ron Smith said in a joint statement with his publicist, Liz Rodriguez.

Madsen’s most iconic performances include Mr Blonde, a psychopathic criminal in the 1992 crime thriller Reservoir Dogs, and Budd, the younger brother of the antagonist in the Kill Bill movies, both directed by Mr Tarantino.

In addition to his appearances in other Tarantino films like The Hateful Eight and Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, Madsen’s prolific career saw him play more than 300 roles over the course of 40 years.

Among his other notable films are Thelma & Louise, Free Willy, Donnie Brasco and the 2002 James Bond flick Die Another Day. Madsen also did voiceovers for several video games, including Grand Theft Auto III, and published several volumes of poetry.

Madsen was born on September 25, 1957 in Chicago to a firefighter father and a filmmaker mother. His sister, Virginia Madsen, is also an actress.

He married three times over the course of his life and had six children, one of whom died by suicide in 2022.

AP