Michael Madsen Biography

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Michael Madsen began his acting career there as an apprentice with John Malkovich at the Steppenwolf Theatre. He appeared on the stage in A Streetcar Named Desire and Of Mice and Men.

He traveled to Hollywood when he landed a role in the film War Games.

This contract was followed by roles that allowed the American to play characters in feature films such as Thelma & Louise (1991), Free Willy (1993), and Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs (1992). In the latter, he cuts off a police officer's ear while sashaying to a boogey beat. He also played mechanic Glen Greenwood, who takes in and mentors a troubled boy in Free Willy (1993) and the sequel, Free Willy 2:The Adventure Home (1995).

During the 2000s, he reunited with filmmaker Quentin Tarantino for the two explosive Kill Bill installments, released in theaters in 2003 and 2004. Viewers were further able to appreciate his presence in 2010 thanks to four episodes of the series 24, starring Kiefer Sutherland.

A busy year like many others, 2015 was synonymous with a reunion between the main actor and Quentin Tarantino on the set of the bloody western The Hateful Eight.

Madsen was the son of a firefighter and the brother of actress Virginia Madsen. His mother was Elaine Madsen, an award-winning writer and producer. Michael has also had three books of poetry published. Married to third wife De Anna Morgan since 1996, he had five sons in total. In spite of being a very prolific actor, in 2009 Madsen filed for bankruptcy, and in 2011, an arrest warrant was issued when he didn't show up in court regarding over $270,000 that he owed in spousal and child support payments.

Madsen died unexpectedly on July 3, 2025 of cardiac arrest. He was 67 years old.

Filmography:

Resurrection Road (2025)
Sinatra! Eternity (2025)
Cash Collectors (2025)
Max Dagan (2024)
Arena Wars (2024)
A Christmas Gamble (2024)
South of Hope Street (2024)
Spirit Riser (2024)
Monster Mash (2024)
Dark Feathers: Dance of the Geisha (2024)
Prepare to Die (2024)
Outlaw Johnny Black (2023)
The Lurking Fear (2023)
Assault on Hill 400 (2023)
The Wraith Within (2023)
Waking Karma (2023)
Demon Pit (2022)
Incarnation (2022)
Until We Meet Again (2022)
Damon's Revenge (2022)
The American Connection (2022)
Christmas Thieves (2021)
Every Last One of Them (2021)
American Night (2021)
Burial Ground Massacre (2021)
Red Prophecies (2021)
Nishabdham (2020)
Puppy Love (2020)
Dirty Fears (2020)
Unbelievable!!!!! (2020)
Shark Season (2020)
Serpent in the Bottle (2020)
2 Graves in the Desert (2020)
Conjuring: The Book of the Dead (2020)
Angels Fallen (2020)
Artic Dogs (2019)
Red Handed (2019)
Primitiva (2019)
Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood (2019)
Born2Race (2019)
Welcome to Acapulco (2019)
The Garden He Left Behind (2019)
Trading Paint (2019)
The Journey Ahead (2018)
Dead on Time (2018)
Hangover in Death Valley (2018)
Papa (2018)
Dirty Dealing 3D (2018)
Love Addict (2018)
CobraGator (2017)
Garlic & Gunpowder (2017)
The American Connection (2017)
Until We Meet Again (2017)
The Broken Key (2017)
Unfallen (2017)
Diamond Cartel (2017)
Devil's Domain (2016)
The Whole World at Our Feet (2016)
Talons (2016)
Last Man Club (2016)
Back in the Day (2016)
Magi (2016)
Beyond the Game (2016)
Kidnapped in Romania (2016)
The Lost Tree (2016)
Vigilante Diaries (2016)
The Hateful Eight (2015)
Flipped (2015)
Lumberjack Man (2015)
Sacred Blood (2015)
Death in the Desert (2015)
Lady Psycho Killer (2015)
No Deposit (2015)
Skin Traffik (2015)
Hope Lost (2015)
A Turn in the Sun (2015)
Turnaround Jack (2014)
2047 – Sights of Death (2014)
Water Wars (2014)
The Ninth Cloud (2014)
Skorry 'Moskva-Rossiya (2014)
I'm in Love with a Church Girl (2013)
Terrible Angels (2013)
Ashley (2013)
Lionhead (2013)
Gabrielle (2013)
ICE Agent (2013)
The Sorrow (2013)
Along the Roadside (2013)
Madeoff: Made Off with America (2013)
Day of Redemption (2013)
Prince of the City (2012)
Magic Boys (2012)
Infected (2012)
Desperated Endeavors (2012)
Beyond the Trophy (2012)
As pik (2012)
Sins Expiation (2012)
Refuge from the Storm (2012)
Cole Younger & The Black Train (2012)
A Matter of Justice (2011)
Loosies (2011)
Dirty Little Trick (2011)
A Cold Day in Hell (2011)
The Lion of Judah (2011)
The Forest (2011)
Joshua Tree (2011)
Not Another Not Another Movie (2011)
Corruption.Gov (2010)
Pyataya kazn (2010)
The Brazen Bull (2010)
Now Here (2010)
Federal (2010)
Terror Trap (2010)
Krach (2010)
The Big I Am (2010)
Let the Game Begin (2010)
Money to Burn (2010)
Six Days in Paradise (2010)
The Killing Jar (2010)
The Portal (2010)
Ligeia (2009)
The Bleeding (2009)
Chamaco (2009)
Lost in the Woods (2009)
Serbian Scars (2009)
Outrage (2009)
Put (2009)
Shannon's Rainbow (2009)
Darc (2009)
Trial of October (2009)
Buttermilk Sky (2009)
Shifter (2009)
Conflict of Interest (2009)
Break (2009)
Hired Gun (2009)
Road of No Return (2009)
A Way with Murder (2009)
Clear Lake, WI (2009)
You Might as Well Live (2009)
House (2008)
Deep Winter (2008)
45 R.P.M. (2008)
No Bad Days (2008)
Break (2008)
Vice (2008)
Last Hour (2008)
Hell Ride (2008)
Tooth & Nail (2007)
Afghan Knights (2007)
Strenght and Honour (2007)
Boarding Gate (2007)
Machine (2007)
Living & Dying (2007)
Cosmic Radio (2007)
UKM: The Ultimate Killing Machine (2006)
Canes (2006)
Hoboken Hollow (2006)
The Last Drop (2006)
All In (2006)
Scary Movie 4 (2006)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
BloodRayne (2005)
Velvet Revolution (2005)
L.A. Dicks (2005)
Chasing Ghosts (2005)
Sin City (2005)
Jacked (2004)
Blueberry (2004)
Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004)
Vampires Anonymous (2003)
Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
My Boss's Daughter (2003)
The Real Deal (2002)
Pauly Shore Is Dead (2002)
Die Another Day / Meurs un autre jour (2002)
Love.com (2002)
Welcome to America (2002)
Outlaw (2001)
Extreme Honor (2001)
42K (2001) (narrateur)
L.A.P.D.: To Protect and to Serve (2001)
The Ghost (2001)
Choke (2001)
Pressure Point (2001)
Rude (2001)
Fall (2001)
The Alternate (2000)
Luck of the Draw (2000)
The Stray (2000)
The Price of Air (2000)
The Thief & the Stripper (2000)
Bad Guys (2000)
Ides of March (2000)
The Florentine (1999)
Voodoo Dawn (1998)
Rough Draft (1998)
The Sender (1998)
Species 2 (1998)
Surface to Air (1998)
Papertrail (1998)
Catherine's Grove (1997)
The Maker (1997)
Donnie Brasco (1997)
Executive Target (1997)
The Girl Gets Moe (1997)
Mulholland Falls (1996)
The Last Days of Frankie the Fly (1996)
The Winner (1996)
Almost Blue (1996)
Man with a Gun (1995)
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995)
Species (1995)
Wyatt Earp (1994)
The Getaway (1994)
Blue Tiger (1994)
Dead Connection (1994)
Season of Change (1994)
Free Willy (1993)
A House in the Hills (1993)
Money for Nothing (1993)
Beyond the Law (1993)
Trouble Bound (1993)
Fatal Instinct (1992)
Straight Talk (1992)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
The Doors (1991)
Thelma & Louise (1991)
The End of Innocence (1990)
Kill Me Again (1989)
Blood Red (1989)
Iguana (1988)
Shadows in the Storm (1988)
The Killing Time (1987)
The Natural (1984)
Racing With the Moon (1984)
War Games (1983)
Againts All Hope (1982)