'Kill Bill' Actor Michael Madsen Dies of Heart Attack

Frequent Actor in Quentin Tarantino's Films Passes Away at 67

Actor Michael Madsen, who frequently appeared in films directed by Quentin Tarantino, has passed away at the age of 67.

According to U.S. media outlets such as CNN, citing a statement released by his manager, Madsen died on the morning of July 3 (local time) at his home in Malibu, California. Police have ruled out the possibility of homicide, and his manager stated that the clear cause of death was a heart attack.

Madsen was an actor who appeared in more than 300 films and television series since the early 1980s. He is well known in Korea for his roles in Quentin Tarantino's films. In "Kill Bill" (2003-2004), he played Budd, one of Beatrix Kiddo's (Uma Thurman) targets for revenge, and in "Reservoir Dogs" (1992), he left a strong impression as Mr. Blonde.

He also appeared in numerous other hit films, including "Thelma & Louise" (1991), "Donnie Brasco" (1997), "007 Die Another Day" (2002), "Sin City" (2005), "The Hateful Eight" (2015), and "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" (2019). He remained active in his career until recently, with several feature films scheduled for release.

In his personal life, he was arrested twice for drunk driving. He also experienced severe marital discord with his ex-wife and suffered the loss of his son, who died by suicide.