Michael Madsen, the leading actor in Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, Sin City and Donnie Brasco, died yesterday at the age of 67. Madsen also lent his voice to the video games Grand Theft Auto III, Dishonored and also reprised his role as Mr. Blonde for the video game adaptation Reservoir Dogs.
Madsen was found unconscious at his home in Malibu, California. When an ambulance arrived, he was pronounced dead, with police saying they did not suspect foul play. In a separate statement, Madsen's manager said the death was caused by a heart attack.
Throughout his 43-year career, Madsen starred in 328 films, TV series and video games. He became widely known for his iconic role as Mr. Blonde in Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs. He was also Tarantino's first choice for the role of Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction but was replaced by John Travolta because he chose to star in Wyatt Earp.
In the world of video games, Madsen has lent his voice to the characters Toni Cipriani in Grand Theft Auto 3, Daud in the Dishonored series, Shimano in Yakuza and Travis Baker in Crime Boss: Rockay City. The characters in Rockay City use his face entirely.