Actor Michael Madsen, known for his intense roles in Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, passed away at 67 from cardiac arrest at his Malibu home. His death leaves behind a legacy of unforgettable performances and a family grappling with deep grief.

His sister, actress Virginia Madsen, paid tribute with moving words: “He was thunder and velvet. A poet disguised as an outlaw. A father, a brother, etched in contradiction, tempered by love.” She remembered him not as a myth but as family—flawed, fiery, and irreplaceable.

Madsen’s four-decade career saw him become a staple in Tarantino’s gritty, stylized worlds, but off-screen, life was marked by heartbreak. He suffered the tragic loss of his son Hudson to suicide in 2022, a grief that strained his long marriage to DeAnna Madsen. Despite legal troubles and personal struggles, Michael publicly expressed love for his family and rejected blame.

His life reflected the very roles he portrayed—tough on the outside, but with undeniable depth. As Virginia said, he leaves behind “echoes—gruff, brilliant, unrepeatable—half legend, half lullaby.”