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Michael Madsen
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Miami Vice Character
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Born
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September 25, 1957, Chicago, Illinois
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Died
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July 3, 2025, Malibu, California (age 67, cardiac arrest)
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Active
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1982-present
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Spouses/children
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Georgiane LaPiere
Jeanine Bisigano (2 children) Deanna Morgan (1996-2025, his death) (2 children, one stepson) |
Michael Soren Madsen (September 25, 1957 - July 3, 2025) was an American actor and poet. He appeared in the show Miami Vice as Sally Alvarado, head of a drug and prostitution ring (along with Lupo Ramirez, played by Burt Young) in the episode "Give a Little, Take a Little".
Early Life/Career[]
Madsen was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of an Emmy-winning poet (Elaine Melson Madsen) and a firefighter. He as an incorrigible youth who had frequent run-ins with the law until he enrolled in the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, serving as an apprentice under John Malkovich. His first film appearance was in a 1982 independent film, Against All Hope, then appeared in the films WarGames, Diner, and as "Bump" Bailey in The Natural before making his TV debut in St. Elsewhere, then appearing in The Hitchhiker, Cagney & Lacey, Michael Mann's Crime Story, Tour of Duty, Jake & The Fatman, Quantum Leap (with Dean Stockwell), and 24.
Madsen returned to the movies in The End of Innocence, The Doors, Thelma & Louise (with Lucinda Jenney) as Susan Sarandon's character's boyfriend. Then he began working with famed director Quentin Tarantino in Reservoir Dogs (with Steve Buscemi), then went into other movies such as Straight Talk (with Dolly Parton), Free Willy (with Lori Petty and Mykelti Williamson) and its' sequel Free Willy 2 (with Williamson), Wyatt Earp (with David Andrews and Jeff Fahey), the James Bond picture Die Another Day, then reunited with Tarantino in Kill Bill, Vol. 1 and its sequel Vol. 2. Other movie appearances for Madsen include Sin City (with Benecio del Toro), All In (with James Russo), Scary Movie 4 (with Chris Elliott), and many others, as of the time of his death, Madsen had over 300 acting credits on his resume.
Personal life/Death[]
Madsen has a younger sister, Virginia, who worked with Don Johnson in The Hot Spot, and an older sister, Cheri. He was married and divorced to Georgiane LaPiere (Cher's younger sister), then to Jeanine Bisigano, with who he has two sons, Christian and Max, and in 1996 he married Deanna Morgan Madsen, and they remained married until his death on July 3, 2025 from cardiac arrest at his home in Malibu, California, at the age of 67. She has one son, Cody, from her previous marriage to Stray Cats singer Brian Setzer, and her and Madsen had two sons together, Calvin and Luke.