At 6' 2" and 190 pounds, Michael Madsen - the brother of actress Virginia Madsen - is equally adept at portraying heroic as well as villainous characters. There's just something in the way he delivers his lines with an underlying aggression masked behind his gravelly tones that makes you feel very uneasy about his true intentions! Madsen first learned his craft at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre, where he worked under John Malkovich, one of the theater's founders. His first few film roles were minor ones, in such projects as Against All Hope, Racing with the Moon and The Natural. His work received considerable notice, however, after his knife-edged performance as deranged killer Vince Miller in Kill Me Again and then as Susan Sarandon's rough-edged boyfriend Jimmy in Thelma & Louise. His big breakthrough, however, came as the sadistic jewel thief Mr. Blonde in Quentin Tarantino's low-budget hit Reservoir Dogs. Movie audiences were glued to their seats as Madsen playfully danced around a tied-down and terrified police officer, slicing him with a knife and splashing gasoline all over the petrified man, all to the cheery tunes of "Stealer's Wheels' "Stuck In the Middle With You." Not to be typecast, Madsen surprised many with his performance as foster parent Glen Greenwood in the hit family movie Free Willy before returning to another criminal role as bank robber Rudy Travis in the remake of the Steve McQueen heist flick The Getaway, and then back again as Glen Greenwood in Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home. Madsen continues to turn in edge-of-the-seat performances as morally bankrupt individuals on the wrong side of the law, as in his intense on-screen showings in Donnie Brasco, Mulholland Falls, and High Noon. In 2003 he teamed up again with Tarantino in both "volumes" of Tarantino's magnum martial arts/revenge opus Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 as the coldly evil Budd (aka "Sidewinder"). In addition to his film work, Madsen has contributed dialogue to two of Sony PlayStations's biggest-selling games, Grand Theft Auto 3 and Driv3r, as well as writing several books of his own poetry. Although uncomfortable with fame, Madsen's star continues to shine in Hollywood and his droll, yet captivating acting style is ensuring him a steady flow of work as one on the screen's favorite "heavies".


Brother of actress Virginia Madsen and Cheryl Madsen. Son of Cal Madsen, a retired firefighter, and Elaine Madsen. Announced the second greatest movie villain of all time by Maxim Magazine's "Greatest Movie Villains of all Time" for his character in Reservoir Dogs (1992) of "Mr. Blonde". Dennis Hopper wrote the introduction to his book of short stories and poems "Burning in Paradise". Children with Jeannine Bisignano: Christian (born 1990) and Max (born 1994). Children with DeAnna Madsen: Hudson Lee (born 1995), Calvin Michael (born 1997) and Luke Ray (born 2005). States only five films as ones he's even remotely proud of: Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), Donnie Brasco (1997), Reservoir Dogs (1992), Species (1995) and Free Willy (1993). He points to Robert Mitchum as his idol and role model. Many similarities are apparent, as both are large, intimidating "tough guys" who are generally underrated and Madsen (as did Mitchum) doesn't always appear in films for their artistic merit. They both also share a love for poetry. He and Mitchum also both appeared in War and Remembrance (1988) (TV), though they never had any scenes together. Voice can be heard in a Boeing commercial aired on MSNBC. Was offered role of Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction (1994) but turned it down because he couldn't get out of rehearsal for Wyatt Earp (1994). His father is of Danish descent, his mother is of Irish and American Indian descent Was considered for the role of Sergeant Mike Horvath in Saving Private Ryan (1998). The role eventually went to Madsen's friend, Tom Sizemore. One of his dogs is "Buftea", a recent addition. He found it emaciated, wild and roaming the forests of Romania while he was filming The Last Drop (2005). Madsen gradually tamed the dog, adopted it, named it after the town in Romania where they were shooting and whisked it back to beach-front Malibu. His maternal Grandparents are Lance and Lavinia. In 2002 he was presented an award for his work with the Shriners Hospital For Children. Has worked as a car mechanic, a landscaper and a hospital orderly before turning to acting. He was originally asked to play "Harland", the man who rapes Geena Davis in Thelma & Louise (1991), but he refused the part and, when director Ridley Scott asked what part he would like instead, Madsen asked if he could play "Jimmy Lennox", the well meaning but short tempered boyfriend of Susan Sarandon's Louise. Scott initially scoffed at the idea, but Madsen got the part of "Jimmy" after having lunch with Susan Sarandon. Hobbies include cars and bikes. Uncle of Virginia Madsen's son Jack Has lent his voice to several seasons of "Animal Precinct" (2001) on The Animal Planet. Was offered the role of Seth Gecko in From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), but couldn't accept due to scheduling conflicts. According to his interview in Maxim magazine, he doesn't own a cell phone nor does he use the Internet to send e-mails; he still writes letters by hand. His parents, Cal and Elaine Madsen, divorced when Michael was 9. David Carradine and his present Wife Annie were married at his home by Vicki Roberts who officiated and pronounced them husband and wife. Good friend Harvey Keitel served as godfather to his son Max. Was considered for the role of John McClane in Die Hard (1988). The films he acted in have grossed over 2 billion dollars world wide. The Boys Republic once a year gives a scholarship on behalf of Michael Madsen. Steve McQueen attended that school. Won the Maverick Award 2007 Method fest, presented to him by good friend David Carradine.