Michael Madsen, the actor who worked with Michael Madsen best movies Quentin Tarantino, died on July 3 at 67 from cardiac arrest.
Many of his many roles may not end up in the film Michael Madsen best movie archives but his work ethic and screen presence cool, menacing was undeniable.To commemorate Madsen’s departure, we have gone through the actor’s filmography and picked his best services.
1. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
As Mr. Blonde aka Vic Vega in Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, Madsen created one of the most iconic, charming psychopaths in cinema. His smooth talking, Michael Madsen best movies razor wielding bank robber was so good Entertainment Weekly put him on their list of the greatest villains in film and television.
In it Mr. Blonde goes from relaxed banter to brutal terror, cutting off a police officer’s ear while dancing to Stealers Wheel’s upbeat 70’s hit “Stuck in the Middle With You” a song that became iconic because of this scene.
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2. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
In Kill Bill Quentin Tarantino’s Bride (Uma Thurman) is a deadly assassin on a mission to avenge those who destroyed her life murdered her fiancé and unborn child on her wedding day. Michael Madsen appears in the second volume of the saga as Budd, a washed up former hitman now working as a bouncer and living in a trailer.
Seeing Madsen play a weathered, remorseful version of his Michael Madsen best movies once deadly self especially more than a decade after his iconic turn as Mr. Blonde adds unexpected emotional depth. Despite knowing what he’s done, he’s likable. He literally buries Uma alive and yet we see him as the most sympathetic character in the film.
3. Thelma & Louise (1991)
Thelma & Louise, an Academy Award-winning film directed by Ridley Scott, is well known for its aberrant view of men. So much so that this character by Madsen was the most sympathetic male figure throughout the film. Madsen as Jimmy Lennox, a committed musician still in love with Louise (Susan Sarandon), gives one of the most complex and compelling portrayals ever in his career. Their scenes were marvelously constructed, demanding both actors to embody a thick potion of rage, sorrow, desire, and tenderness all while contained in harsh environments.
4. Donnie Brasco (1997)
In this drama, Madsen portrayed a mobster in Michael Madsen best movies Sonny Black’s crew. His presence added an aura of gritty authenticity to the dangerous underworld that surrounds Johnny Depp’s character. Great acting, and an engaging story can keep a film in the halls of fame among the greatest mafia tales Hollywood too has to offer.
5. Free Willy (1993)
One of the things about Madsen was that even when he played violent or crazy characters, they were the kind of people you’d want to have a drink with. Underneath the tough exterior was a kind of warmth and a wink that said he didn’t take it all too seriously.
That showed up in Free Willy, a sentimental family film about an orphan boy who befriends an orca at a failing marine park. Madsen played Glen, the boy’s foster father who helps the boy free the whale. It wasn’t a part that showed off his full range, but it did reveal a softer, more nurturing side of him that he 6.
6. The Getaway (1994)
The Getaway didn’t do well at the box office and was met with a meh critical response tough for any remake of a Sam Peckinpah classic.
But one reason to give it another look is Michael Madsen’s crazy performance as the unhinged Rudy Travis. His chemistry with Jennifer Tilly is weird and fun, especially in one scene with guns and condoms so spontaneous it feels like it wasn’t scripted.
In a 2015 interview with The A.V. Club, Madsen said, My character was totally nuts, I had Roger Donaldson directing, and overall I thought it was a good movie. I just don’t think it got the release it deserved it should’ve had a bigger push and stayed in theaters longer.”
7. The Winner (1996)
In this overlooked and decidedly offbeat crime comedy from Repo Man director Alex Cox, Michael Madsen delivers a performance that’s by turns menacing, funny, and unexpectedly seductive, sharing the screen with Vincent D’Onofrio and Rebecca De Mornay.
It’s a movie that showcases Madsen’s gift for quiet menace while also letting him reveal a sly, tender playfulness a true hidden gem worth discovering.
8. Species (1995)
The sci-fi action films Species and its 1998 sequel are surprisingly good, partly because of their unapologetic sleaze and an all star cast that includes Michael Madsen, Marg Helgenberger, Forest Whitaker, Alfred Molina and Ben Kingsley.
Each brings something to the table that makes Species stand out from the pack of creature features. Madsen in particular is steady and believable as the black-ops mercenary with an alien human hybrid with uncontrollable sexual urges. His dry wit and nonplussed expression add a much needed dose of reality to the proceedings.
9. The Hateful Eight (2015)
Michael Madsen’s gravelly voice was always one of his things, but it’s especially resonant as cowboy Joe Gage also known as “Grouch” Douglass in The Hateful Eight, his third time working with Quentin Tarantino.
Madsen clearly had a ball with the part, fully committing to the character’s sly charm and menace. His half-smile and raspy delivery matched the rough, weathered setting of the isolated lodge, adding another layer of grit to Tarantino’s bloody, cramped western.
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10. Sin City (2005)
A visually striking crime thriller, Michael Madsen portrays Bob, a police officer navigating the brutal and unforgiving world. Though having limited screen space, he contributed to this raw, harsh atmosphere in the film. The movie took its fame from the unique visual style and fabulous ensemble cast: Jessica Alba, Bruce Willis, and Mickey Rourke.
If the best roles of Michael Madsen could speak about his great versatility, they would say from menacing wicked guys to warm-hearted fatherly figures. Even on smaller terms, he brought a special kind of truth and gritty presence within the screens that shall be missed yet will surely endure.
