Michael Madsen, whose rocky path to stardom in "Reservoir Dogs" and "Kill Bill" was marked by a series of distressing personal setbacks, died Thursday at his home in Malibu. He was 67.

The actor seemed poised to return, but his final weeks, according to reports, were also filled with financial difficulties, drug addiction, and poor health.

A source who has had recent interactions with Madsen says he last saw the actor on June 10. During that call, Madsen stated that he believed he was about to be evicted and requested financial assistance equivalent to $10,000. "He called me and said, 'I'm getting evicted from my house,'" the source told The US Sun.

Madsen also talked about entering rehab.

"He told me, 'I'm going to rehab,' and all this kind of stuff," according to the source.

"It was clear he had a lot going on in his life that was difficult for him to navigate."

Madsen reportedly seemed drunk and down and out and was struggling to sell old cars to get by, the insider went on.

Through it all, Madsen continued to work. He was working on several independent film projects, including "Resurrection Road," "Cookbook for Southern Housewives," and "Concessions." The veteran actor was also about to release a book, "Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems." According to his team, he was looking forward to what they described as a new chapter.

Sudden Death Despite a Clean Bill of Health

Madsen had seen a doctor at UCLA in the wake of lingering issues from an earlier fall, according to a Facebook post by DDRV friend and assistant Dougie Smith. Smith told TMZ the actor underwent a PET scan and doctors cleared him. "He looked like he had been in the best health he had been in all year," Smith said.

Smith said he spoke with Madsen Tuesday night and said he sounded "great." When he hadn't heard from him the following day, Smith went to the house and discovered him unresponsive on Thursday morning. Madsen was declared dead at 8:25 AM. Authorities believe Madsen's cause of death is cardiac arrest and no foul play is suspected.

A Complicated Final Chapter

Madsen was a father to six children. His 26-year-old son, Hudson, killed himself in 2022. The tragedy deeply moved Madsen, and his marriage to DeAnna Madsen became strained. In 2024, he was arrested on a charge of domestic battery and filed for divorce, though he later said he had no intention of pressing it.

"This was not a dress rehearsal, Dweezil," his sister, the actress Virginia Madsen, said in a statement to Variety. "We're not mourning a public figure. We're not mourning a myth – but flesh and blood and ferocious heart. Who stormed through life loud, brilliant, and half on fire."

As of his death, Madsen had 18 unreleased projects on IMDb. His reps said he was excited to bring his next creative endeavor to the world and remembered him as "one of Hollywood's most iconic actors, who will be missed by many."

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