Profile of Michael Madsen on Famous Like Me

Michael Madsen (born September 25, 1958 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American actor, the brother of actress Virginia Madsen. His most prominent roles are "Budd" in Kill Bill and "Mr. Blonde" in Reservoir Dogs.

Career

Madsen's acting career started at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, where he served as an apprentice actor under John Malkovich. Soon after, he was cast in a small role in the movie WarGames and he moved to Los Angeles. After a series of minor film roles, he caught the public's and critics' attention as "Vince Miller", a deranged killer in Kill Me Again and then with his portrayal of Susan Sarandon's tough but touching boyfriend "Jimmy" in Thelma & Louise.

But it was in Reservoir Dogs as the knife-wielding, sadistic ex-con and jewel thief, "Mr. Blonde" that Madsen achieved his breakthrough role. In one famous scene, Madsen tied up a cop and danced around him to a radio playing "Stuck In the Middle With You," while slicing his ear off with a straight-razor and dousing him with gasoline.

The following year, Madsen caught the public's attention again but this time as "Glen Greenwood" in Free Willy. Appearances in Wyatt Earp, Mulholland Falls, Species were all well-received and popular but it was his performance as "Sonny Black" in Donnie Brasco with Al Pacino and Johnny Depp which brought the most critical acclaim so far for the intense, gravely-voiced actor.

Madsen has also appeared regular in TV projects - most notably in the role of "Mr. Chapel" in the short lived series, Vengeance Unlimited and most recently as "Don Everest" in the poker-themed ESPN series Tilt. His big screen appearances continue as well including a role as "Damian Falco" in the James Bond franchise and "Budd" in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill

Not content with achieving success in one creative field, Madsen is also a published poet, with several books out including Burning in Paradise, a blessing of the hounds, 46 down, a book of dreams & other ramblings.

Madsen was offered the role of Vincent Vega (but with the name Vic Vega), but couldn't take the role (which he wanted to play) due to his commitment on Wyatt Earp,. Madsen later regretted not accepting the part that went to John Travolta. Madsen blamed director Lawrence Kasdan from refusing to release him from the film.

Madsen also appeared in Frank Miller's Sin City as John Hartigan's corrupt police partner Bob.

Madsen had also provided the voice of Tanner in the Driver series of video games and the voice of mob boss Toni Ciprani in the video game Grand Theft Auto III, and will also be doing voicework on the same character in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.

Madsen has also appeared in the Darren Doane-directed music video for 'Kill The Music' by modern day hardcore band Every Time I Die. The video sees the band performing the song, with lions around the set, with the camera cutting to Madsen every so often with him getting annoyed with the music. Soon enough Madsen gets a whip out, and whips the guitarist of the band, and smashes his guitar to pieces.

While he has appeared in movies that are considered less than memorable, Madsen cites that the reason why he did these movies was to put food in the fridge for his family, since he has five children, all boys.

He is often confused with another tough guy actor: Tom Sizemore, who appeared as himself alongside Madsen in the film Pauly Shore Is Dead. Madsen's cameo appearance had Shore referring to him as Sizemore and not as himself.

Filmography

• Sin City (2005)
• The Last Drop (2005)
• Bloodrayne (2005)
• Kill Bill - Volume 2 (2004)
• Blueberry (2004)
• Vampires Anonymous (2003)
• 44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shootout (2003)
• Kill Bill - Volume 1 (2003)
• My Boss's Daughter (2003)
• Animal Precinct (2001-present; voiceover of Animal Planet program)
• Pressure Point (2001)
• Extreme Honor (2001)
• The Real Deal (2002)
• Die Another Day (2002)
• Choke (2001)
• LAPD: To Protect and to Serve (2001)
• The Ghost (2001)
• Microwave Park (2001)
• Bad Guys (2000)
• Fall (aka Fall: The Price of Silence) (2000)
• Ides of March (2000)
• Sacrifice (2000)
• Luck of the Draw (2000)
• Agent of Death (aka The Alternate) (2000)
• Voodoo Dawn (aka Fait Accompli) (2000)
• The Stray (1999)
• The Florentine (1999)
• Ballad of the Nightingale (1998)
• Detour (aka Hard to Die) (1998)
• Species II (1998)
• Catherine's Grove (1997)
• Executive Target (1997)
• The Girl Gets Moe (aka Love to Kill) (1997)
• Trail of a Serial Killer (aka Papertrail) (1997)
• Diary of a Serial Killer (aka Rough Draft) (1997)
• Surface to Air (1997)
• The Maker (1997)
• Donnie Brasco (1997)
• Last Days of Frankie the Fly (1997)
• Man with a Gun (aka Gun for Hire, aka Hired for Killing) (1996)
• Red Line (aka Squanderers) (1996)
• The Winner (1996)
• Mulholland Falls (1996)
• Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995)
• Species (1995)
• Blue Tiger (1994) (uncredited cameo appearance)
• Dead Connection (1994)
• The Getaway (1994)
• Season of Change (1994)
• Wyatt Earp (1994)
• A House in the Hills (1993)
• Inside Edge (1993)
• Money for Nothing (1993)
• Free Willy (1993)
• Almost Blue (1992)
• Beyond the Law (aka Fixing the Shadow) (1992)
• Trouble Bound (1992)
• Reservoir Dogs (1992)
• Straight Talk (1992)
• The End of Innocence (1991)
• Fatal Instinct (aka To Kill For)
• Thelma & Louise (1991)
• The Doors (1991)
• Kill Me Again (1989)
• Blood Red (1988)
• Iguana (aka La Iguana) (1988)
• Shadows in the Storm (1988)
• The Killing Time (1987)
• Racing with the Moon (1984)
• The Natural (1984)
• WarGames (1983)
• Special Bulletin (1983)
• One for the Road (1982)

TV guest appearances

• St. Elsewhere (1992) - Episode 1.14 - "Monday, Tuesday, Sven's Day"
• St. Elsewhere (1992) - Episode 1.13 - "Remission"
• The Outsiders (1990) - Episode information unavailable
• Quantum Leap (1989) - Episode 2.8 - "Jimmy"
• War and Remembrance (TV Mini Series) (1989)
• Tour of Duty (1987) - Episode 2.6 - "Sleeping Dogs"
• Miami Vice (1984) - Episode 1.10 - "Give a Little, Take a Little"
• The Hitchhiker (1983) - Episode 1.9 - "Man at the Window"
• Cagney & Lacey (1982) - Episode information unavailable

Trivia

• Michael Madsen has said that the five films he has featured in that he is particularly proud of are Reservoir Dogs, Donnie Brasco, Species, Free Willy and Kill Bill

• Quentin Tarantino wanted him to play Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction (the character is the brother of Vic Vega, Madsen's character from Reservoir Dogs); however, Madsen was already committed to Wyatt Earp.

• Michael Madsen appeared in Michael Jackson's 2001 music video, "You Rock My World".

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