Reservoir Dogs Actor Michael Madsen Dies in Malibu at 67

Michael Madsen, the gravel-voiced character actor celebrated for tough-guy turns in Quentin Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs” and “Kill Bill,” died Thursday at his home in Malibu, California, his representatives said. He was 67.

Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department were called to the residence early on 3 July and pronounced Madsen dead at 8:25 a.m. Pacific time. Manager Ron Smith said the actor suffered cardiac arrest; authorities added that no foul play is suspected and the death is being treated as natural causes.

Born in Chicago and a onetime member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Madsen amassed nearly 350 screen credits over four decades, appearing in films such as “Donnie Brasco,” “Thelma & Louise,” “Free Willy” and the James Bond title “Die Another Day,” and voicing characters in video games including “Grand Theft Auto III.” According to his managers and publicist, he had several independent films in post-production and was preparing to publish a poetry collection, “Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems.”