Overview

• Manager Ron Smith confirmed that Madsen suffered a fatal heart attack and was pronounced dead by emergency responders at his Malibu home at 8:25 a.m. on July 3, 2025.
• Over a four-decade career and more than 300 credits, he became best known for his roles as Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs and Budd in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 under Quentin Tarantino.
• Born in Chicago in 1957, Madsen honed his craft at Steppenwolf Theatre before making his film debut in WarGames (1983).
• He is survived by his partner and five children, following the 2022 suicide of his son Hudson.
• At his death, he was working on indie films including Resurrection Road and Cookbook for Southern Housewives and had a memoir, Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems, slated for posthumous release.