Michael Madsen, 'Reservoir Dogs' and 'Kill Bill: Vol. 2' actor, dies at 67

Michael Madsen, the gravel-voiced character actor best known for playing sneering tough guys in Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" and "Kill Bill: Vol.

Michael Madsen, the gravel-voiced character actor best known for playing sneering tough guys in Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" and "Kill Bill: Vol. 2," died Thursday morning from cardiac arrest, according to his manager, Ron Smith.

He was 67.

In an acting career spanning more than 40 years, Madsen racked up dozens of screen roles. He was best known for his collaborations with Tarantino, who cast him as a psychotic thief in "Reservoir Dogs" and a washed-up hitman in "Kill Bill: Vol. 2."

"Reservoir Dogs," one of the seminal independent films of the 1990s, shocked audiences with its graphic violence, including a scene in which Madsen's character, Mr. Blonde, cuts off a police officer's ear while dancing to "Stuck in the Middle With You."

Michael Madsen at an event in Santa Monica, Calif., on April 21, 2014.Jerod Harris / Getty Images fileMadsen's other notable big-screen credits include "The Doors," "Thelma & Louise" and "Donnie Brasco." Tarantino included him in the ensemble casts of the bloody Western "The Hateful Eight" and the 1969-set "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."