Michael Soren Madsen
1957-2025
Michael Soren Madsen, a prolific actor and poet, was born on September 25, 1957, in Chicago, Illinois. His mother, Elaine Madsen, is an Emmy-winning poet, producer, and playwright, while his father, Calvin Madsen, was a retired Chicago fireman. Elaine left a career in corporate business to pursue her creative endeavors. Madsen's paternal grandparents were Danish, and his mother has Irish and French ancestry. His sisters are the Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen and writer Cheri.
Madsen began his acting career as an apprentice at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago under the tutelage of John Malkovich. He later moved to Los Angeles, where he landed a series of film roles, establishing a presence in both mainstream and independent cinema.
Madsen's film career spans decades and includes a mix of memorable roles, often portraying tough, complex characters. He appeared as baseball player Bump Bailey in the film The Natural (1984), a deranged killer in Kill Me Again (1989), and Susan Sarandon's tough-but-touching boyfriend "Jimmy" in Thelma & Louise (1991). His career took a significant turn with his role as the razor-wielding, sadistic ex-con "Mr. Blonde" in Quentin Tarantino's directorial debut, Reservoir Dogs (1992). He then gained further recognition in a family-friendly role as the foster father in Free Willy (1993) and as a mercenary in the sci-fi thriller Species (1995). He also had a role as an LA detective in Mulholland Falls (1996) and played a mobster in the critically acclaimed Donnie Brasco (1997).
Later in his career, Madsen continued to work with prominent directors. He joined the James Bond franchise as the NSA Director in Die Another Day (2002) and famously reunited with Quentin Tarantino to play the assassin Budd, Bill's brother, in both Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) and Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004). He also had a role as a corrupt police officer in the neo-noir film Sin City (2005).
Subsequently, he would appear in Tarantino's western, The Hateful Eight (2015), and have a cameo in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). Madsen also lent his distinctive voice to a number of video games. Following his passing, a number of his completed films, including titles such as Resurrection Road, Concessions, and Cookbook for Southern Housewives, were released posthumously, serving as a final testament to his prolific and enduring career.
Madsen was married to Deanna Madsen for 29 years, and they made their homes in Malibu, California. He had five sons: Hudson, Max, Christian, Luke, and Calvin. Madsen is survived by his wife Deanna and sons Luke, Christian, and Max. His son Calvin, named after Michael's father, is a writer, musician, and creator of a website. Hudson Lee had a distinguished military career in the US Army, where he made his family proud, but he tragically passed away in 2022. Max is a poet and an actor, Christian is an actor who also works in real estate, and Luke is just beginning his career as an actor. All of his sons live in Los Angeles and continue to honor their father's memory.
We lost a national treasure when Michael left, but he sure did leave a lot behind.