Friday

11-07-2025 Vol 19

Kill Bill and Reservoir Dogs star Michael Madsen’s cause of death revealed

Michael Madsen‘s cause of death has been revealed, just days after news broke of his passing aged 67.

The Hollywood legend, who starred in Kill Bill, Reservoir Dogs and Thelma and Louise, died from heart failure, his cardiologist told NBC Los Angeles.

Heart failure will be listed as the actor’s cause of death, with heart disease and alcoholism named as contributing factors.

READ MORE: Kill Bill, Reservoir Dogs and Thelma and Louise star, dies aged 67

Actor Michael Madsen appears at the premiere of "The Hateful Eight" in Los Angeles on Dec. 7, 2015.
Michael Madsen died from heart failure, his cardiologist told NBC Los Angeles on Tuesday, July 8. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

On July 3, the actor was found unresponsive at his home in Malibu, California after deputies responded to a 911 call that morning.

He was pronounced dead at 8:25am local time. No foul play was suspected.

While Madsen had struggled with alcoholism for years, it’s been reported by multiple US outlets that he was sober at the time of his sudden passing.

The star’s representatives released a statement following his death that read: “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.

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Michael Madsen in Kill Bill
Madsen is pictured in Kill Bill. (Miramax Films)

“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.”

With over 320 credits to his name on IMDb, Madsen also had a whopping 18 titles in development at the time of his passing.

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Many of Madsen’s Hollywood peers and co-stars paid tribute to him in the wake of the news.

Among them is his sister, actress Virginia Madsen, who said she’ll “miss the boy he was before the legend”.

Michael Madsen
Michael Madsen is pictured on April 27, 2025 – the last photo believed to have been taken before his passing. (Getty)

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“My brother Michael has left the stage,” the Candyman star wrote on Instagram.

“He 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.

“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 my big brother.”

Harvey Keitel, who starred alongside Madsen in Reservoir Dogs, mourned his “dear friend” in a succinct and heartfelt statement.

Michael Madsen and Virginia Madsen in 2011
Michael Madsen and Virginia Madsen in 2011 (WireImage)

“We’ve lost another great American poet. Farewell, my dear friend,” the 86-year-old screen legend told The New York Post.

Jason James Richter, the former child star who appeared alongside Madsen in Free Willy, said the actor had a “profound” effect on him.

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“I just received the news about Michael’s passing and I just wanted to send my deepest condolences to his family and all of his fans,” Richter said in an Instagram Story.

“Michael was a truly special soul and he had a profound effect on me, and I will miss him greatly.”

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