Michael Madsen has died

110 anigbrowl 35 7/3/2025, 10:17:10 PM nytimes.com ↗

Comments (35)

timbo1642 · 11h ago
He was a cool guy. He used to come to my workplace more than a decade ago when I worked there and was always pleasant. He would always talk to a few of us (mostly my boss) and joke around. Sad to see him go
windowshopping · 10h ago
Why is THIS comment flagged/dead? What is going on in this thread
danso · 13h ago
Roger Ebert on Madsen’s breakout role in Reservoir Dogs:

> One of the discoveries in the movie is Madsen, who has done a lot of acting over the years (he had a good role in “The Natural“) but here emerges with the kind of really menacing screen presence only a few actors achieve; he can hold his own with the fearsome Tierney, and reminds me a little of a very mean Robert De Niro.

RIP MM

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/reservoir-dogs-1992

monster_truck · 7h ago
He was fantastic on film, no doubt about it.

But his work as Toni Cipriani in Grand Theft Auto 3 was what I always remembered him for. Bumped into him while I was at the beach on vacation forever ago. I was pretty lit and couldn't remember his real name so I said "ayyyyy Toni!" He picked up on it immediately and did the "do you know who I am? I'll beat the shit outta you for this!"

RIP

StopTheWorld · 13h ago
Can't forget his appearance at the beginning of the classic hacker movie, WarGames.
genghisjahn · 13h ago
My kids and I use that phrase "THAT'S NOT THE CORRECT PROCEDURE!" whenever one of us isn't doing what we're supposed to.
bombcar · 6m ago
Reminds me of college days; we had a bit of tradition of changing Windows error sounds when the owner wasn’t looking.

Depending on which sound you chose it could be weeks or months until they hit it.

So maybe …

jonbaer · 11h ago
anon7725 · 11h ago
I rewatched WarGames recently. It holds up and is worth watching again. In particular with our current concerns over AI it feels ahead of its time.
somenameforme · 8h ago
The interesting thing is that I think WarGames was likely [heavily] inspired by Colossus: The Forbin Project [1], released in 1970! It too, holds up extremely well.

[1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus:_The_Forbin_Project

jonbaer · 7h ago
cbanek · 10h ago
Sir we are at launch, TURN YOUR KEY.
bigtex · 1h ago
He did a short lived tv show about helping people out and then the stipulation was you had to be available when he needed you. It was a great concept but I think it lasted one season.
bloudermilk · 14h ago
donatj · 13h ago
It's truly fascinating that someone can be in 300 plus movies and I, a film buff, can have only heard of maybe ten of them.
fumeux_fume · 11h ago
“Wrap your lips around this.” Often gets quoted in our household when serving a drink. RIP MM.
n1b0m · 13h ago
Torture you? That's a good idea. I like that.
myvoiceismypass · 12h ago
I was just watching Donnie Brasco earlier this week. He was so awesome as Sonny Black (great movie if you have never seen, true story undercover mob fbi story)!
ferociouskite56 · 11h ago
He was funny in Vengeance Unlimited season 1 episode 15 "Stay tuned. It's gonna get stranger."
0x445442 · 11h ago
My two favorite characters of his were Budd and The Matadore.
linotype · 12h ago
Cardiac arrest, ooof. RIP.
wileydragonfly · 11h ago
Everyone dies of cardiac arrest
pimlottc · 10h ago
Everyone experiences cardiac arrest when they did, but that’s not always what kills you.
knicholes · 8h ago
I thought most people died of shock?
ekianjo · 9h ago
not in the way you mean it
fithisux · 7h ago
I remember him for Species

RIP

ViktorRay · 11h ago
Dude had a unique presence in the films he was in. Highly memorable characters.

Rest in peace.

ekianjo · 10h ago
he was great in Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill. shocking to see him go so soon
adaisadais · 14h ago
Stuck in the middle with you
rcurry · 12h ago
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am stuck with Hacker News.
hobbitstan · 11h ago
That sucks, I just watched him on the One Bad Movie podcast. He had a great story about Pacino:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjth0fhAhSI

windowshopping · 10h ago
Why is this flagged/dead? Perfectly normal comment, isn't it?
masteruvpuppetz · 7h ago
Huh! sold his Hattori Hanzō sword in a pawn shop /s

Good actor

Dazzler5648 · 7h ago
Last night, only hours before he died, I chose to watch Thelma and Louise. I was really struck by his character this time around, particularly in the diner and motel scenes. He absolutely nailed a male archetype I’m familiar with as a woman: the un-self-aware douche, and he managed it with Susan Sarandon staring at him. Chef's kiss and RIP you gorgeous thing.