Actor Michael Madsen received a clean bill of health at a hospital less than a week before his death, his personal assistant said Friday.
Madsen, known for his tough-guy roles and collaborations with director Quentin Tarantino in films such as “Reservoir Dogs,” “Kill Bill” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” was found dead at his Malibu home on Thursday. He was 67.
Dougie Smith, Madsen’s personal assistant and friend, told City News Service that he grew concerned when he didn’t hear from Madsen all day Wednesday, and went to his home Thursday morning, where he found the actor dead.
Smith also said Madsen had just had a checkup at UCLA Medical Center last Friday in regard to a shoulder injury from a horseback riding accident two years ago.
The actor was weighing possible surgery on his rotator cuff, but decided to put it off and wear a brace. During the visit, Madsen also received a PET scan to check on a minor brain bleed from the prior accident, according to Smith, who said everything checked out all right.
Smith, who met Madsen on an independent film about a year ago and sometimes stayed at the actor’s Malibu home, works as a transportation captain for Hollywood Honeywagon & Production Vehicles, which rents trailers and other mobile units for film shoots.
Madsen’s publicist, Liz Rodriguez, said he suffered what appeared to be a cardiac arrest.
“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,” Rodriguez said in a joint statement with Madsen’s managers, Susan Ferris and Ron Smith. “Michael was also preparing to release a new book called `Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems,’ currently being edited.
“Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.”
A Chicago native, Madsen broke into films with a small part in the 1980s thriller “WarGames,” followed by appearances in productions including “The Natural,” “Thelma & Louise,” “Donnie Brasco” and “Die Another Day.”
But he made a splash in his work with Tarantino, beginning with the brutal crime drama “Reservoir Dogs,” playing a sadistic criminal known only as Mr. Blonde. He worked with Tarantino again in the films “Kill Bill: Vol. 2,” “The Hateful Eight” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
Madsen was the brother of Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen. He was married three times and had six children. His son Christian is also an actor, known for his work in “Divergent.”
On social media, Virginia Madsen said her brother “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 wrote. “We’re not mourning a public figure. We’re not mourning a myth — but flesh and blood and a ferocious heart.”
She added, “I’ll miss our inside jokes, the sudden laughter, the sound of him. I’ll miss the boy he was before the legend. I miss by big brother.”
Meanwhile, colleagues were also sharing their thoughts on Madsen.
Walton Goggins, star of “The White Lotus” and “The Righteous Gemstones” who appeared with Madsen in “The Hateful Eight,” shared a photo on Instagram with the caption: “Michael Madsen… this man… this artist… this poet… this rascal “F—— ICON… Aura like no one else. Ain’t enough words so I’ll just say this… I love you buddy. A H8TER forever.”
James Woods wrote: “Oh man, this is a hard one. Michael and I did `The Getaway’ together. We did `Straight Talk’ together. I was always touched by his sweet nature and generosity, the absolute opposite of the `tough guys’ he portrayed so brilliantly. Rest in Peace, dear friend.”
Actress Jennifer Tilly posted: “Michael was one of my favorite actors I ever worked with. `The Getaway’ was very early in my career and he made me feel safe and supported. He was wildly audacious and rambunctious with his character choices, and had a wicked sense of humor. I don’t recall ever laughing so much on a film set in my life. A huge talent. Gone too soon. … Rip Michael Madsen.”
And Harvey Keitel, whose Mr. White character engaged in some memorable verbal sparring with Madsen’s Mr. Blonde in “Reservoir Dogs,” gave a statement to the New York Post that said: “We’ve lost another great American poet. Farewell, my dear friend. I’ll never forget one of the best scenes I’ve ever seen on film … of you and Chris Penn fighting in `Reservoir Dogs.”’