Michael Madsen

In the latter part of his career, he was almost always the meanest guy in the film. And he was so good at it he sort of got type cast as such. Premiere critic Roger Ebert said “He’s like a really mean Robert DeNiro. He has the kind of menacing screen presence only a few actors achieve.” Michael Madsen left us way too early at 67, leaving behind over 300 appearances in movies and TV shows. Until his turn as the psychotic Mr. Blonde, he was usually just a good middle of the road character actor. If you think these descriptions of the mature Madsen are a little strong, I direct you to his signature role.

Reservoir Dogs (1992). There are lots of bad guys in Quentin Tarantino’s rhinestone in the rough. Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi and Quentin himself are all on board for the mayhem. But Michael Madsen as Mr. Blonde tops them all. The gang sets out to rob a jewelry store but things go sideways and the police show up. They go their separate ways, winding up at an empty warehouse. They have kidnaped a policeman as a hostage, and they leave him alone with Mr.Blonde. Who promptly tortures the poor guy and cuts his ear off. Bad enough for you? I thought so. This bloodbath of a saga was Quentin’s first feature and sets the tone for his later work. It is not for the squeamish.

Madsen often said that while he made a good living as a totally bad, menacing guy, he sometimes wished for a gentler role. And he actually got one and did a good job with it in Free Willy (1993). 12-year-old Jason is an abandoned kid living on the street when he breaks into the aquarium and bonds with a feisty orca named Willy. Jason is taken in by the kind Greenwood family- Annie (Jayne Atkinson) and Glen ( yep, Michael Madsen). When Jason learns the aquarium’s owner plans to kill Willy for the insurance on him, Jason hatches a crazy plan to return Willy to the open sea. The Greenwoods help him and with Glen’s truck and a hydraulic lift give Jason hope. Finally, Willy must overcome a breakwater to get away and he manages this with Jason’s encouragement by jumping over it. This little film spawned two sequels, a TV series and several video games. None of them are, of course, up to the original. 

In Thelma and Louise (1991) Madsen is a regular guy as the boyfriend of Louise (Susan Sarandon). He tries to help the girls but they are beyond help as they shot a guy outside of a bar. And, of course, wound up driving their getaway car into the Grand Canyon. 

Madsen’s no hero in The Natural (1984) appearing as journeyman baseball player Bump Bailey, completely willing to collude with gamblers and throw a game. Roy Hobbes (Robert Redford) of course refuses and plays on despite death threats. 

In War Games (1983), Diner (1983) and Racing With The Moon (1984) Madsen has meaty, but minor, parts. 

All of the movies in this article except Free Willy are for adults only. Next time, another look at his bad guy roles, of which there are many.