Michael Madsen has spent more than four decades in front of the camera. Over that time, one of Hollywood’s remaining badasses has learned a few things. He shares them with us below…
One of the first films that left an indelible impact on me was Heaven Knows Mr. Allison, with Robert Mitchum, directed by John Huston. But I also remember climbing up the balcony and sneaking into a theatre to see Cool Hand Luke and The Scalp Hunters, a double feature, which we saw from the manager’s projection room. And to this day, those are the two earliest movies that had an impact on me.
I always felt I was born in the wrong era. I think I’m a throwback to the actors that I grew up admiring like Robert Mitchum, among others, ones that I copy to a certain extent. But I guess that type of actor is a dying breed, but until it expires, I’ll still be here.
People ask me if I have any regrets, and the only regrets I have are wanting to burn the films I’ve done in order to pay the rent. But I suppose there are architects that made buildings that fell down, or famous race car drivers that wrecked their cars, and that’s what happens in this industry. Sometimes you’ll work on something and you think it’ll become the greatest picture ever made and it ends up being awful. And same goes the other way around, you think you’re working on something terrible, and it ends up being one of the best films you’ve made. In the moment, you just never know.
When my son, Max, was in Rome, he sent me several photos of graffiti of Mr Blonde from Reservoir Dogs leaning against the pole throughout the city, and to be honest, it felt spooky and humbling to think that certain people in a city like Rome may be familiar with that character, yet unfamiliar of the person who played him. But being remembered for even just one iconic line is really just such an honour. Also, what’s interesting about that scene is that there was no pole in the warehouse we filmed in. But Quentin had specifically written a pole in the script for Mr. Blonde to lean against, so he had a pole installed in the building just for my character to lean against, which is pretty bizarre when you think about it.
In hindsight, at that age, life moved so fast, and I wish somebody would’ve told me to just slow down. In the early 90s I was constantly running a marathon, and although I won most of the races, I injured myself in the process. When we’re young and full of energy, you take it for granted. Anybody starting out now, take it easy, take it slow. Don’t be in a rush.
I wish I could be the young me, and take the advice of the older me, and just start over. I think you have to be talented and lucky at the same time, and sometimes those two don’t align. I’ve been very fortunate to be at the right place at the right time many times in my life, and for that I’m eternally grateful. But I often still think that the best is yet to come.
Michael Madsen was talking to Anton Brisinger
