A Great Character Actor, Michael Madsen, Dies
Michael Madsen, an actor who was well known for his strong supporting performances in high-caliber films, has died of cardiac arrest at age 67.
Michael Madsen was a force to be reckoned with in the early 1990’s (and beyond) as he came on to the scene with a slew of excellent supporting roles in movies as varied as you could possibly imagine. He continued to thrive as an actor throughout the duration of his career. Sadly, the great Madsen passed away recently at age 67. He was the brother of the well-known actress, Virginia Madsen (Candyman, John Grisham’s The Rainmaker).
Michael Madsen rose to have his prolific career thanks to his association with talents such as Oliver Stone, Ridley Scott and, especially, Quentin Tarantino. He had a substantial part in Stone’s The Doors, but my first terrific memory of the actor was when he played the loving boyfriend of Louise (Susan Sarandon) in one of the best films of all-time, Thelma & Louise, which came out in 1991. A year later, Madsen got the break of a lifetime in a small, independent and violent film from Tarantino called Reservoir Dogs which further put Madsen on the map as a character actor with tremendous versatility which was solidified when the actor played a kinder role in Warner Bros.’s family film, Free Willy.
Though he was in action films like Kill Bill and The Hateful Eight, which were undeniably some of Tarantino’s most distinct works to date, the actor wouldn’t allow himself to be pigeonholed into the simple role of the bad guy or the good guy. Madsen played every type of role imaginable in a believable manner that made him feel natural and charismatic in terms of the way he delivered his first-rate performances throughout his career.
In Thelma & Louse, Madsen played the part of a decent man who was good to his significant other. If anyone could have changed the way the ending of the film went down, it was Madsen’s sympathetic character who loved and helped Louise in her quest to escape being caught by the law for her attempts at helping her best friend, Thelma (Geena Davis), through the aftermath of a violent crime. Madsen was so strong in his performance that I believed Susan Sarandon’s Louise had a serious shot of escaping her eventual fate because her connection with Madsen’s well-written character was so strong.
In Free Willy, Madsen continued on the path of playing a kind-hearted character, but his roles weren’t going to always go down that path as one may have expected judging from the actor’s incredible range. He was a Chicago-born thespian who also played in films like the fine 1997 mob drama, Donnie Brasco. Don’t forget Madsen’s turn in 2019’s Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood either.
Once upon a time in Hollywood, there was a great character actor who could do it all and do it so well (even in straight to video action pictures) that he made it look so easy. He wasn’t usually recognized with awards and accolades, but was certainly deserving. That terrific actor was the brilliant Michael Madsen who made his career a substantial one through roles that could have gotten lost in the shuffle in the hands of lesser actors. Madsen will be missed.
Leave your thoughts on the passing of Michael Madsen below in the comments section. Readers seeking to support this type of content can visit our Patreon Page and become one of FilmBook’s patrons. Readers seeking more movie news can visit our Movie News Page, our Movie News Twitter Page, and our Movie News Facebook Page. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Mobile App, Google News, Apple News, Feedly, Twitter, Faceboo