He Worked To Keep His Family Fed
While kids may recognize Michael Madsen as the nice guy who helped Jessie free a captive orca in Free Willy, most of Madsen’s roles are more the things of nightmares. Quentin Tarantino used him as a heavy in more than one film, and Madsen also scared us in Donnie Brasco with Al Pacino and Johnny Depp. The thing is, between some really great films, Madsen made a lot of duds. And when he needed to keep his family fed, Madsen went a few steps even lower.
1. His Family Spilt Apart
Michael Madsen was born in Chicago on September 25, 1957. His mother worked in finance and his father was a firefighter. When his parents divorced, Madsen’s mother, prompted by her friend, film critic Roger Ebert, pursued a career in film. This move would have a huge impact on Madsen’s future.
But before that, he’d get into a lot of trouble.
Ivan Bessedin, Wikimedia Commons
2. He Wasn’t Law Abiding
As a teenager, Madsen had run-ins with the law for car theft, breaking and entering, and possession of a firearm. Strangely, this all happened after he had stated he wanted to be an officer of the law. Once he got all this out of his system, he was ready to try something else.
Something that would change his life forever.
Angela George at https://www.flickr.com/photos/sharongraphics/, Wikimedia Commons
3. He Found His Passion
Since his mother was in the film industry, it seemed natural that Madsen would pursue a career in acting. He started out at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago. It was the custom for the theater company to pair new actors with more established ones. His mentor would go on to be a Hollywood legend.
Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia Commons
4. He Had An Intense Mentor
To help with Madsen’s acting, Steppenwolf Theatre Company paired him up with Being John Malkovich star John Malkovich. Many know Malkovich as an intense actor, and it seems that some of that rubbed off on Madsen. It wouldn’t take long for Madsen to be able to show off his own dark side.
Elena Ternovaja, Wikimedia Commons
5. He Was Scary
After small parts in films like Wargames and The Natural, Madsen got a bigger part in Kill Me Again opposite Val Kilmer. Here, Madsen plays the psychopathic boyfriend to a two-faced thief. While this film had only limited success, it would cement Madsen’s reputation for playing scary bad guys.
But Madsen did try to do more appealing roles.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Kill Me Again (1989)
6. He Didn’t Want To Be Bad
Madsen's role in Kill Me Again got him an offer to play another bad guy. This was in Ridley Scott’s Thelma & Louise. Scott offered Madsen the part of Harlan, the one who attempts to assault Geena Davis’ character. Madsen did not want the part and asked if he could instead play Louise’s boyfriend.
Scott thought it was a bad idea, but Madsen had a plan to prove he could do it.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Thelma & Louise (1991)
7. He Took Her To Lunch
Madsen’s plan was to connect with the woman portraying Louise. This was Susan Sarandon and Madsen invited her out to lunch. The lunch must have gone well, as Madsen got the part. While the character of Jimmie Lennox was no angel, at least he wasn’t the worst of the bad guys in this movie.
Madsen had charmed Sarandon, but he had also charmed someone else.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Thelma & Louise (1991)
8. His Son Was An Actor
In 1991, Madsen walked down the aisle with Jeanine Bisignano. Before long, they had two sons named Christian and Max. Christian would later become an actor and co-star with Val Kilmer’s son Jack Kilmer in Palo Alto, based on James Franco’s book.
Next, Madsen would get a chance to work with a future Hollywood legend.
History's most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily.
9. He Got Chosen
Back in the early 1990s, the name Quentin Tarantino meant very little to the movie-going public. Tarantino had a script called Reservoir Dogs, and he was going to make the movie on a very tight budget. Harvey Keitel had signed on early, and he remembered Madsen from Thelma & Louise.
Madsen got a chance to audition, but the competition was tough.
pinguino k from North Hollywood, USA, Wikimedia Commons
10. It Was Competitive
There were eight roles for “bad guys” in Reservoir Dogs, so Madsen's chances were pretty good. However, among the hopefuls were George Clooney, Samuel L Jackson, and Christopher Walken. In spite of the hot competition, Madsen cinched a part.
This was a career-defining moment for Madsen, but it probably didn’t seem like it at the time.
Miramax Films, Reservoir Dogs (1992)
11. It Was Low Budget
Madsen might have had reservations about appearing in Tarantino's film. You see, there just wasn’t much money for some very basic things. For example, the budget for costumes was so tight that Madsen’s suit didn’t even match up. The pants and jacket were from two different suits.
And then there was a problem with cars.
Miramax Films, Reservoir Dogs (1992)
12. He Drove His Own Wheels
Another place Tarantino cut corners was on vehicles. He wanted Madsen to have a cool car, but he couldn't afford to rent one. Madsen provided his own vehicle for the shoot. It was a Cadillac Coupe de Ville. Taratinto would actually use this car again in Once Upon A Time in Hollywood.
While on Reservoir Dogs with his vehicle, Madsen decided to have a little fun.
Sony Pictures Releasing, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
13. He Was Happy To Help
One of Madsen’s co-stars on Reservoir Dogs was Kirk Baltz, who played an officer of the law. In one scene, Baltz has to ride around in the trunk of a car. To see what it was like, Baltz asked if Madsen would drive around with him in the trunk. Madsen was happy to oblige, but Baltz got a little more than he asked for.
Miramax Films, Reservoir Dogs (1992)
14. It Was A Bumpy Ride
Once he had Baltz in the trunk of his car, Madsen started driving around. He suddenly realized he could use this experience to help build his psychopathic character in the film. So, Madsen drove down the alleys with the biggest potholes and ended the ride in a drive-through for a Taco Bell.
This would be nothing compared to what Madsen did to Baltz in the movie.
Miramax Films, Reservoir Dogs (1992)
15. He Scared The Audience
One of the more intense scenes in Reservoir Dogs is between Madsen and Baltz. In the scene, Madsen has tied Baltz to a chair and is cruelly punishing him. The end result is that Madsen’s character cuts off Baltz’s ear. The audience’s reaction was as intense as the scene.
Miramax Films, Reservoir Dogs (1992)
16. He Made Them Walk
The scene where Madsen cuts off Baltz’s ear is infamous, and many theatergoers walked out of the scene in disgust. You might think that these were just a few people who couldn’t stand extreme violence. As it turned out, it even terrified a film director who was famous for his extreme violence.
Miramax Films, Reservoir Dogs (1992)
17. He Was Too Real
At Spain’s Sitges Film Festival, 15 people left the theater during the scene with Madsen and Baltz. One of them was A Nightmare on Elm Street director Wes Craven, who was no stranger to on-screen violence. He called it a “heightened sense of realism” and couldn’t stand to watch it.
As it turned out, Madsen himself had trouble with the scene.
Ron Galella, Ltd., Getty Images
18. It Was Too Hard
In spite of his tough-guy image, Madsen was uncomfortable filming the violent scenes in Reservoir Dogs. The ear-cutting scene was proving to be difficult for him, and he wasn’t enjoying playing a psychopath who would be so cruel to another man.
Just as Madsen had almost had enough, Baltz made the scene even worse.
Miramax Films, Reservoir Dogs (1992)
19. He Had A Heart
While filming the infamous ear-cutting scene, Batlz decided to ad-lib a line. He was begging Madsen to spare his life and blurted out,“I’ve got my little kid at home”. This was almost too much for Madsen, and he barely finished the scene. It may have been hard for Madsen, but his acting managed to impress some very important people.
Miramax Films, Reservoir Dogs (1992)
20. He Was The Scariest
While Reservoir Dogs was full of unsavory characters, Madsen stood out. When the American Film Institute was compiling its 100 Years of the Best Heroes and Villains list, it only nominated Madsen from Reservoir Dogs. While he didn’t make the top 50, it's always nice to get the nod.
Now it was time to show his lighter side.
Miramax Films, Reservoir Dogs (1992)
21. He Saved Willy
After another Tarantino-esque film—the unsuccessful Trouble Bound—Madsen turned to more family-friendly fare. This was the film where Madsen helps the main character save a killer whale from extermination. Free Willy was both a commercial and critical success and exposed Madsen to a completely different fan base.
But this caused some unexpected problems.
Warner Bros., Free Willy (1993)
22. He Was Two Very Different Things
Madsen later described an awkward situation that sometimes occurred when he was in public. Occasionally, children would recognize him from his role in the family-friendly Free Willy and want to approach him. Then he saw the parents of the kids recognize him from his psychopathic character in Reservoir Dogs and want to get away.
Free Willy was simply a blip on the radar, and Madsen soon returned to his usual villainous fare.
Warner Bros., Free Willy (1993)
23. He Did More Of the Same
Following Free Willy, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Madsen film that didn’t involve some sort of gang family connection. Most of these didn’t stand out, but The Getaway did have quite the cast. In it, Madsen is acting with Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin, who were dating at the time. Sadly, the film tanked with critics.
But it did give Madsen a chance at having some fun.
Universal Pictures, The Getaway (1994)
24. He Dropped Them
While working on The Getaway, Madsen accidentally punched another actor for real and sent him to the hospital. On a more humorous note, Madsen did his part to help Baldwin’s acting. In one scene, Baldwin had to act surprised at something. Madsen positioned himself off camera, but in Baldwin’s sightline. When Baldwin looked up, he saw Madsen with his pants around his knees.
His next project would not be nearly as fun.
Universal Pictures, The Getaway (1994)
25. He Was In A Competition
Also in 1994, Madsen got caught up in a competition. Two films were in development, and they had similar stories to tell. Kurt Russell was playing Wyatt Earp in Tombstone, and Kevin Costner was playing him in Wyatt Earp. Madsen was on team Costner and hoped to beat out the competition at the box office.
There was a good reason why Madsen really needed this film to be a hit.
Warner Bros., Wyatt Earp (1994)
26. They Told Him No
The thing was, Madsen had already signed up for Wyatt Earp when a more appealing role came through. Tarantino had an offer for Madsen to appear as a lead character in his new film. Madsen begged the Wyatt Earp people to let him appear in both films, but they said no.
If Madsen could have said yes to Pulp Fiction, his life might have been very different.
Miramax Films, Pulp Fiction (1994)
27. He Called It Stupid And Boring
Saying no to Tarantino must have made Madsen feel bad. When Wyatt Earp came out to mostly negative reviews, he must have felt even worse. Later, Madsen called Wyatt Earp “stupid and boring”. Of course, he may have been feeling especially angry because Pulp Fiction was about to redefine the way we see movies.
But there was something else that got Madsen’s goat.
Miramax Films, A Band Apart, Jersey Films, Pulp Fiction (1994)
28. He Missed A Huge Chance
With Madsen unavailable, Tarantino had to go with his second choice. He went with John Travolta. Travolta had such success with Pulp Fiction that it single-handedly reestablished Travolta as a bankable Hollywood star. If Madsen had been able to do it, he might have had a very different career.
But he did remain connected to Pulp Fiction.
29. He Was His Brother
Tarantino wanted Madsen to play Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction, but the role went to Travolta. When Madsen had to decline the offer, Tarantino wanted to keep a connection between Madsen and Pulp Fiction. So, Tarantino made Travolta and Madsen’s characters brothers: Vincent and Vic Vega.
Tarantino had a reason for making Travolta’s character Madsen’s brother.
Miramax Films, Pulp Fiction (1994)
30. He Got Too Old
Tarantino's ultimate plan for Madsen’s Vic and Travolta's Vince was a film called Double V Vega. This would put two of Tarantino’s favorite characters together in one film. Sadly, by the time Tarantino was free to make this film, Madsen and Travolta were too old to play the roles.
Travolta’s post-Pulp Fiction career was stellar. Madsen, on the other hand, just had to work to pay the bills.
The Vega Brothers – official trailer, Little White Lies
31. He Was Animated
One of Madsen’s jobs after Pulp Fiction was more than a little embarrassing. He did voice-over work on a movie called Felidae. This is a German “adult animated psychological horror mystery” about a cat that commits murder. To add insult to injury, this film didn’t even do well in Germany.
But Madsen wasn’t giving up yet.
Constantin Film, Felidae (1994)
32. He Was Too Scary
Oliver Stone was casting for his film Natural Born Killers, and the lead character had to be a very scary guy. Stone considered casting Madsen as Mickey Knox—the part that ultimately went to Woody Harrelson. Apparently, Stone felt Madsen was too intimidating to play a psycho maniac.
It was time for Madsen to take a break from playing the villain.
Warner Bros., Natural Born Killers (1994)
33. He Returned
After the minor success with the sci-fi film Species, Madsen returned to a sure thing. This was Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home. The thing about family movies is that audiences are often very uncritical. Even though it scored poorly with critics, it was a success at the box office.
If Madsen was looking for critical success, this next film would be his big chance.
Warner Bros., Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995)
34. He Got The Short End Of The Stick
In 1996, Madsen appeared in Donnie Brasco. This gang life film was a huge financial and critical success. The only problem was that it didn’t pay all that well. Madsen said that his big-name costars—Al Pacino and Johnny Depp—had such huge paychecks that there wasn’t much money left for him.
Madsen was going to need a better paycheck, as his family was about to expand.
Warner Bros., Donnie Brasco (1997)
35. He Walked Across The Sand
When he was working on Donnie Brasco, Madsen took time out from his busy schedule to become a husband for the second time. He had a ceremony in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, where he married DeAnna Morgan. Madsen and Morgan would remain married for 28 long years, but sadly, this marriage would lead to tragedy.
36. He Had A Last Conversation
Over the years with Morgan, who was also an actor, Madsen had three more children. These were three sons, Luke, Kalvin and Hudson. When Hudson grew up, he became a US Army Sergeant, tied the knot and moved to Hawaii. In January 2022, Madsen had a phone conversation with his son.
It would be the last time they ever spoke.
37. He Faced A Tragic Loss
Madsen didn't remember anything special about his conversation with Hudson. He did remember that Hudson said he was happy. Madsen later received a text from Hudson that simply said: “I love you Dad”. A few days later, Hudson chose to end his life. It was a tragic loss, and it was going to affect Madsen deeply.
It would turn his whole life upside down.
38. He Blamed Her
Soon after the loss of their son, Madsen and Morgan separated. At the time, Madsen said that they had “irreconcilable differences”, but later revealed there was much more to it. He claimed that he was “a victim in an abusive, co-dependent and toxic relationship”. He went on to say that it was his wife who caused their son to take his own life. He blamed it on her “neglect and drinking”.
Morgan wasn't about to take these accusations sitting down.
39. He Went To Prison
Later that same year, Morgan went to the authorities and claimed that Madsen had pushed her during an argument. On August 17, 2022, Madsen found himself in lockup and had to post a bail of $20,000. The Los Angeles County DA later said there was a lack of evidence and shelved the case.
But Madsen was ready to strike back.
Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia Commons
40. He Had Personal Issues
Madsen then claimed that Morgan had broken into his house. Morgan was in disbelief, as she still considered the Malibu home to be hers. When asked about the situation, Morgan blamed Madsen’s "personal issues” and asked the press for some privacy.
This was becoming a case of “he said, she said”, and someone had to come out with the truth.
Miguel Discart, Wikimedia Commons
41. He Set The Record Straight
Strangely, Madsen and Morgan never did divorce. In fact, in October 2024, Madsen took to Instagram to stop the rumors. He said that he had no desire to blame his wife for the loss of their son. He also said he did not want a divorce from her. Madsen needed to put this saga behind him and refocus on his career.
42. He Had A Reunion
Madsen did get a chance to reunite with Tarantino. This was on volume two of the Kill Bill films. The reunion took a negative turn when Madsen showed up wearing a hat that Tarantino did not like at all. To Tarantino’s horror, Madsen was insisting he wear it for his role as Budd.
But Tarantino had a sly way to get the hat off of Madsen’s head.
Miramax Films, Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
43. He Changed His Mind
To get rid of Madsen’s hat, Tarantino simply went into the script and made a change. He rewrote a scene so that one character—the cub owner—did not like what Madsen was wearing on his head. For this reason, Madsen had to put the offending headpiece away. Hat or no hat, Kill Bill Volume 2 was even a bigger hit than the first installment.
Now that he was an older man, it was time for Madsen to take stock of his career.
Miramax Films, Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
44. He’s Proud Of Six
Madsen figured out he had made a total of 72 films in his career. When he looked back, he realized he was only really proud of six of them. In no particular order, the six films are Kill Bill Volume 2, Species, Free Willy, Thelma & Louise, Reservoir Dogs and Donnie Brasco.
Of course, that leaves 66 films that he’s not so proud of.
Miramax Films, Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
45. He Had To Feed His family
Madsen admits to making a good number of not-so-great films. And it wasn’t as if he didn’t know they were going to be bad. But in the end, Madsen admits that he did them only for the money. Madsen defended this action by saying it was a situation of having groceries or not having groceries. Any guy would make the same decision.
So, how low would Madsen go to feed his family? The answer is: a video game.
46. He Made A Game
In 2006, Reservoir Dogs became a third-person shooter video game. Of the entire original cast, only Madsen chose to reprise his character of Mr Blonde. Not only did the game get poor reviews, it also—due to its extreme violence—received a ban in Australia and New Zealand. But there was somewhere even lower that Madsen would go to make a buck.
Reservoir Dogs Game - Chapter 12 - Nice Guy Eddie [4K 60fps], Mafia Game Videos
47. He Checked In
In January 2012, Madsen checked himself in. This was not rehab, but Celebrity Big Brother. While this certainly was a step down from appearing in big-budget movies directed by Tarantino, Madsen gave his reason in Maxim magazine. He simply said: “If you knew how much money I got for that, you would have done it too”.
Maybe Madsen could use some of that hard-earned money to invest in technology.
Day 14: Michael is grouchy, Big Brother UK
48. He Was Old School
Maxim magazine discovered an interesting fact about Madsen. They said that he was one of those rare people who didn’t own or use a smartphone. But it gets even weirder. They said that Madsen didn’t even use email. He still sent letters that he had written by hand. Madsen was certainly an old soul.
And a very nostalgic one.
Miguel Discart, Wikimedia Commons
49. It Was Painful To Watch
A number of Madsen’s co-stars in Reservoir Dogs lost their lives since the film came out. Lawrence Tierney, Edward Bunker, and Chris Penn, to name three. Madsen said that watching Reservoir Dogs had become too painful after these tragic losses. Sadly, we’d soon be adding Madsen’s name to this list.
Miramax Films, Reservoir Dogs (1992)
50. He Joined His Co-stars
On July 3, 2025, emergency responders found Madsen lifeless at his home in Malibu, California. The reason for his early demise—he was only 67—was heart failure. Strangely, two of his co-stars had already lost their lives that same year. Kill Me Again co-star Val Kilmer in April, and Wyatt Earp co-star Gene Hackman in February.
You May Also Like:
Gene Hackman’s Legendary Life And Tragic Death
Val Kilmer Disappeared For A Chilling Reason
Robert Redford’s Golden Looks Hid Dark Secrets
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
