Michael Madsen will always be remembered for his iconic collaborations with Quentin Tarantino. The American actor from Chicago died after suffering a cardiac arrest on July 3, 2025, but his legacy will live on through his extensive filmography, especially the unforgettable Tarantino movies starring him. The creatives enjoyed working together, and their collaborations have produced some of the most influential films of the New Hollywood. When the duo reunited in the mid-2010s for another project, Madsen told the National Post that reuniting with Tarantino gave his career a new lease of life.
“I realized I was getting a little lazy and I had lost my idealism,” he said, “but when I started working for (Quentin) again, I felt revitalized.” Due to scheduling conflicts with Lawrence Kasdan’s Wyatt Earp, Madsen wasn’t part of Tarantino’s masterpiece, Pulp Fiction (1994). Regardless, being a repertory actor for Tarantino-helmed films was the major highlight of his career spanning over four decades. Here’s a ranking of all Michael Madsen and Quentin Tarantino collaborations, starting from the best.
1. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Although Michael Madsen debuted a decade earlier, he got his breakthrough with Quentin Tarantino’s feature-length directorial debut. His portrayal of Mr. Blonde, the psychotic member of a heist group in Reservoir Dogs, marked the beginning of his collaborations with Tarantino. The pair had a rough start as Madsen wanted to play Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi).
When he approached Tarantino and auditioned for the role, the director gave him an ultimatum. “…If you’re not Mr. Blonde, then you are not in the movie,” Tarantino said, mandating Madsen to take on the role that ushered his career into a new phase. The crime thriller was released to rave reviews and has garnered more praise over the years to become a cult classic. The film grossed only $2.8 million against its production cost of $1.2 million.
2. Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
After missing out on Pulp Fiction, Michael Madsen and Quentin Tarantino collaborated a second time for the director’s fourth film, Kill Bill: Volume 1. Starring alongside Uma Thurman, David Carradine, and Daryl Hannah, Madsen played Budd, a minor antagonist in an action-packed tale about betrayal and vengeance. Madsen’s performance contributed to the film’s overall success, paving the way for him to feature in Tarantino’s future projects. A critical and commercial success, Kill Bill: Volume 1 grossed over $180 million at the box office against its production budget of $30 million.
3. Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004)
Originally planned for a single release, Kill Bill’s running time of over four hours warranted Volume 2, which arrived six months after Volume 1 to complete the story. As Budd, Michael Madsen embodied the conflicted morals at the heart of the movie, especially when he delivered his memorable line about The Bride’s (Beatrix Kiddo) quest for vengeance.
“That woman deserves her revenge, and we deserved to die,” Budd said to Bill, who was worried about The Bride. “But then again, so does she. So, I guess we’ll see, won’t we?” Like the first volume, Kill Bill: Volume 2 enjoyed positive reviews. It was also a commercial success, raking in over $152 million at the box office against the $30 million production budget.
4. The Hateful Eight (2015)
Quentin Tarantino wanted Michael Madsen for his eighth film, 2012’s Django Unchained, but the collaboration never materialized. Madsen wanted to play Calvin Candie, a role eventually portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio. “I thought it was the best role in the film. But he wanted me in a smaller role, and it wasn’t working out somehow, so it didn’t happen,” Madsen told Deadline in 2015 while discussing his role in The Hateful Eight. Again, Madsen wanted to play another role other than the one he was offered in the 2015 Western thriller.
“I wanted to be John Ruth. And I remember thinking, ‘Quentin, hey, no, I’m John Ruth, man. Who’s this Joe Gage person? I don’t wanna be the cowboy fellow, man. I wanna be John Ruth, man,” he told the publication. He eventually fell in love with the character he was offered, aptly interpreting the secondary antagonist to elevate the crime thriller’s overall appeal. The movie was well-received. It grossed over $155.7 million at the box office against an estimated production budget of $44 million.
5. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
While the 2019 comedy-drama is another masterpiece from Quentin Tarantino, it’s not Michael Madsen’s best collaboration with the renowned filmmaker. The movie, revolving around Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth’s quest for an enduring Hollywood legacy, featured Madsen as a minor character. His part as Sheriff Hackett on Bounty Law was a blink-and-you-miss-it scene, overshadowed by other industry big names with more screen time.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was released to acclaimed reviews. It received multiple coveted awards, including two Academy Awards out of ten nominations. The film was also a commercial success, having grossed over $377.4 million against a production budget of $90 million.
6. Hell Ride (2008)
Quentin Tarantino didn’t direct this action drama about rival biker gangs. Its inclusion on this list is based on the fact that Michael Madsen regarded it as one of his collaborations with the revered filmmaker. Written and directed by Larry Bishop, Hell Ride was released to critical ridicule. In the Deadline interview, Madsen counted the movie among his works with Tarantino, adding that the director was why the film made it to the theaters.
“It’s actually the fourth,” the actor said when he was asked if The Hateful Eight was his third collaboration with Tarantino. “I’d like to say it’s the fourth time ’cause he cut Hell Ride,” Madsen explained. “Hell Ride wasn’t releasable when they finished that thing… he took it and he put it back together like a jigsaw puzzle,” added the actor. Despite Tarantino’s touch, the film remains the only forgettable collaboration between the pair. Check our ranking of Love, Death & Robots Volume 4 Episodes.
