Quentin Tarantino is remembering Michael Madsen, who died on July 3 in his Malibu home. He was 67.
According to TMZ, Tarantino held a closed memorial for Madsen on Friday at his Vista Theatre, during which he recalled a needed moment of support from his frequent collaborator while filming “Reservoir Dogs.”
“It was the last hour of the last day of the first week of shooting. So, I had never directed a movie before,” Tarantino said on stage. “And Lawrence Tierney was a fucking nightmare. He was completely insane. He was so crazy, and I’d never directed before, so I’m dealing with a crazy man Monday through Saturday.”
He continued, “All the other actors and the crew can’t stand him. And all of a sudden, he yells at me or something, does something disrespectful. The other times, he was being disrespectful, but he didn’t quite mean it. This time, he meant it.”
Tarantino went on to act out his expletive-laden response, which ended in him firing Tierney in front of the entire cast and crew, who broke into “applause” at his termination.
Although his team was excited, Tarantino thought his career was over after firing the actor.
“I just spent a week shooting this fucking guy, now I just fired him,” Tarantino recalled. “Live Entertainment is gonna fucking fire me. That’s it for my career. It was nice while it lasted. But I had to do it, I had to stand up for myself.”
That night, Tarantino got a voicemail from Madsen, who backed up his decision to get rid of Tierney.
Doing his best Madsen impression, Tarantino recalled the message: “‘Yeah, Quentin, it’s Michael. Just calling to say that I really respected what you did tonight. It was important, and needed to be done. He was busting your balls and you had to do it. And I want you to know that I respect it, as a director, I respect it as a captain, and I respect it as a man. So, I’m on your side, buddy. Thanks.’”
With an acting career spanning over 40 years, Madsen was best known for his collaborations with Tarantino. The director cast Madsen as a psychotic thief in “Reservoir Dogs” and a hitman in “Kill Bill: Vols. 1 & 2.” He also appeared in Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight” and “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.”
According to Madsen’s rep, he was found unresponsive on July 3 and said the cause of death appeared to be a cardiac arrest.
“In the last two years Michael Madsen has been doing some incredible work with independent film including upcoming feature films’ Resurrection Road’, ‘Concessions’ and ‘Cookbook for Southern Housewives,’ and was really looking forward to this next chapter in his life,” his rep said in a statement. “Michael was also preparing to release a new book called ‘Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems’ currently being edited,” Madsen’s managers, Susan Ferris and Ron Smith, and publicist Liz Rodriguez said in a joint statement. “Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.”
Madsen’s acting career also spans television, with appearances in “Miami Vice,” “Quantum Leap,” “The Hitchhiker,” “Vengeance Unlimited” and dozens more.
In addition to film and TV, Madsen voiced characters in video games such as “Grand Theft Auto III,” the “Dishonored” series and “Crime Boss: Rockay City.” Over the past two decades, his recent work has featured his appearances in dozens of low-budget films, as well as publishing poetry and photography.