Obituary Actor Michael Madsen known for tough-guy roles

American actor Michael Madsen (right), best known for his roles in director Quentin Tarantino's films like Reservoir Dogs (1992) and the Kill Bill series (2003 and 2004), died at his home in Malibu, California, on July 3. He was 67.

- Alex Williams

LOS ANGELES — American actor Michael Madsen (right), best known for his roles in director Quentin Tarantino's films like Reservoir Dogs (1992) and the Kill Bill series (2003 and 2004), died at his home in Malibu, California, on July 3. He was 67.

The cause was cardiac arrest, said his manager Ron Smith.

Madsen never achieved true leading-man status like his soulmates Charles Bronson and James Gandolfini — but perhaps, measured by volume, he did. A tough guy's tough guy, he seemed ubiquitous in his 1990s heyday, one of those guy-who-was-in-everything actors.

If the role called for a sprinkle of sadism, Madsen was your man, as showcased in Reservoir Dogs, Tarantino's breakout thriller about a crew of thieves bungling a heist in the bloodiest possible fashion.