Hollywood actor Michael Madsen died in his California home on Thursday morning, US media reported. He was 67.
He was found unresponsive by authorities responding to a 911 call at his Malibu home and pronounced dead at 08:25 local time (BST), according to The Hollywood Reporter.
He is believed to have died of cardiac arrest, according to a representative.
Madsen was a prolific actor, best known for his roles in the Quentin Tarantino movies Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill: Vol. 2, The Hateful Eight and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
In one of the seminal movies of the 1990s, Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, he played psychotic thief Mr Blonde, who shocked audiences in a scene where he cut off a policeman’s ear.
During a career spanning four decades, Madsen also took on a number of tv roles.
In both tv and film, he often portrayed the law enforcers like sheriffs and detectives, as well as the law breakers, such as a washed-out hitman in the Kill Bill franchise.
In recent years, he lent his voices to video games, including Grand Theft Auto III and the Dishonored series.
Michael Madsen was born in Chicago in September 1957. His father was a Navy veteran of World War Two who later became a firefighter, and his mother was a filmmaker.
He was the brother of Virginia Madsen, who is known for several movies including Sideways, for which she was nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe.
He was married three times, and is survived by four children, including actor Christian Madsen.
Madsen divorced his wife of 28 years, DeAnna, in 2024, over the death of their son Hudson, according to People magazine.
The actor Michael Madsen has died aged 67 at his home in Malibu, according to authorities and his representatives. No foul play is suspected, the sheriff’s department confirmed, after deputies responded to the Los Angeles county home following a call to the emergency services on Thursday morning.
He was pronounced dead at 8.25am. In an email, Madsen’s manager, Ron Smith, confirmed his client had died from cardiac arrest.
A statement from Smith and another manager, Susan Ferris, along with publicist Liz Rodriguez said:
“In the last two years Michael Madsen has been doing some incredible work with independent film including upcoming feature films Resurrection Road, Concessions and Cookbook for Southern Housewives, and was really looking forward to this next chapter in his life.
“Michael was also preparing to release a new book called Tears for My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems, currently being edited. Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.”
Over a four-decade career, Madsen had won acclaim for his portrayals of often enigmatic and frequently wise-cracking tough guys in films including Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Reservoir Dogs, Thelma & Louise and Donnie Brasco.
He also features in later Tarantino films including The Hateful Eight and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Other credits amongst the 346 listed in IMDb include The Doors, Free Willy, Species, Die Another Day, Sin City and Scary Movie 4.
Madsen began his career in Chicago as part of the Steppenwolf Theatre company as as apprentice to John Malkovich before debuting on the big screen in 1983 sci-fi WarGames.
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter in 2018, Madsen spoke about his industry typecasting, calling fame “a two-edged sword. here are a lot of blessings but also a lot of heavy things that come with it. I think it has a lot to do with the characters I’ve played. I think I’ve been more believable than I should have been. I think people really fear me. They see me and go: ‘Holy shit, there’s that guy!’
“But I’m not that guy. I’m just an actor. I’m a father, I’ve got seven children. I’m married, I’ve been married 20 years. When I’m not making a movie, I’m home, in pyjamas, watching The Rifleman on TV, hopefully with my 12-year-old making me a cheeseburger. I sure as hell had my rabble-rousing days, but sooner or later you have to get over that and move on.”
The brother of the actor Virginia Madsen, he was married three times and had six children, one of whom pre-deceases him.
George Takei has a very personal view about current US immigration enforcement efforts.
The “Star Trek” star appeared on an episode of Audie Cornish’s podcast “The Assignment” to promote his new graphic memoir, “It Rhymes With Takei.” He talked about being held as a five-year-old child with his family in an internment camp for Japanese Americans by the US government during World War II.
Takai is the author of several books and has shared his story before, but he sees an urgency in making sure that people know their history, so the horrors his and other families endured won’t be repeated.
“Our democracy reflects the people and if the people are cowed and silent it fails,” he told Cornish.
The actor turned activist has his own rich history of advocacy on multiple fronts, ranging from immigration to LGBTQ+ rights. The man who at one point was closeted about his sexuality now understands the importance of representation.
He explained to Cornish that he was a teen who had fallen in love with acting when he saw his favorite movie star “heartthrob” actor Tab Hunter lose work after a tabloid reported that Hunter was gay. It was a cautionary tale for Takei.
“You could not aspire to be an actor, to be hired by a producer in a Hollywood if it was known that you were gay,” he said. “And so I put myself in my own self created, invisible barbwire prison camp. The term then was ‘closeted.’ I was visible in other social and justice issues, but I never touched my own situation because I desperately, passionately wanted to be an actor.”
Takei came out in 2005 amid the fight for marriage equality.
He has used his popularity as having starred as Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu in the beloved “Star Trek” franchise to give voice to what he views as injustices.
These days, he’s raising his voice about the policies of the Trump administration.
“We have what I call ‘Klingon in the White House,’” he said. “This authoritarian, self-important, singularly minded person there advocating for erasure.”
Takei also has his memories of how he and his family were treated during World War II.
“They categorized us as ‘enemy alien.’ We were neither,” he said. “We were American born, educated, patriotic Americans and yet they had this falsity and they fanned the flames of hatred. The whole country was swept up.”
The camp where he and his family were forced to live was the result of an executive order. He said his father had shared with him how important the constitution is and often quoted President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address.
Now as an adult, Takei recognizes that then President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who signed the executive order that led to the camps got “swept up” in the “hysteria” of the time and “panicked out of ignorance” about the Japanese Americans who resembled the people who bombed Peal Harbor.
“This is where teachers and librarians are the pillars of democracy,” Takei said. “They can teach them this truth that people, even great presidents, can be stampeded by hysteria. And that’s what we’re going through right now.”
Such truth is vital, according to Takei, given what he sees as the lies told by politicians that are believed by voters until it’s too late.
A community cafe founded in memory of a man who took his own life is celebrating its tenth anniversary this weekend.
Johnny’s Happy Place in Kettering, Northamptonshire, was set up in 2014 by the family of Johnny Mackay, who died at the age of 29 after years of drug and alcohol addiction and undiagnosed mental health issues.
The cafe offers free mental health sessions with trained counsellors, and art therapy.
Johnny’s mother, Denise McKay, 76, said: “It’s been a remarkable journey. We get more and more people in every week, and what surprises me most is that [the local community] is embracing us, supporting us financially, and becoming involved.”
In the wake of Mr McKay’s death, his family and friends were determined to honour his memory, and two months later they were offered an unused cafe space that became the foundation for Johnny’s Happy Place.
Ms McKay, who previously worked in the hotel trade and now also volunteers with the British Heart Foundation, said the cafe has been her lifeline.
“When Johnny died, I sort of gave up my life. I didn’t do anything, I just focused on this,” she said.
“Starting a cafe sounded preposterous at the time. None of us had any experience, but I’m so glad it was suggested. Every time I open the door, I’m pleased to be here.”
Ten years on, Ms McKay said strangers still share stories about Johnny with her.
“They knew him and they have such wonderful anecdotes,” she added.
Johnny’s Happy Place will hold its anniversary event at the cafe on 6 July.
Disney Pixar’s latest film, Elio, follows a familiar-sounding character, a lovable and imaginative young hero who dreams of finding a place where he truly belongs. But amid the colour and chaos of the film’s outer space setting, one subtle detail stands out: Elio wears an eye patch.
In the real world, eye patches are commonly used to treat amblyopia, or “lazy eye”, a neurodevelopmental visual condition projected to affect 175.2 million people globally by 2030. In amblyopia, the brain favours one eye over the other, leading to reduced vision in the weaker eye.
Treatment often involves covering the stronger eye with a patch, encouraging the brain to rely on the weaker eye and improve its function. This therapy is most effective during early childhood and can take months of daily commitment.
Yet, despite how common visual conditions are, positive representation of patch-wearing is rare in popular media.
Animated films have long shaped childhood imaginations, but historically, characters with eye patches or other visual markers often fall into negative stereotypes.
Think Mr Potato Head’s alter ego One-Eyed Bart in Toy Story, or Madagascar’s Dr. Blowhole: characters where an eye patch signals villainy. Glasses, meanwhile, are more often seen on older characters like Carl Fredrickson from Up or Roz from Monsters Inc.
Characters with strabismus (misaligned eyes), like Ed from The Lion King, are often portrayed as unintelligent or clumsy. One recent study found that strabismus in children’s animated films is consistently associated with negative character traits – something that can reinforce harmful stigma.
These portrayals matter. Film plays a powerful role in shaping beliefs, especially for young children who are developing a sense of identity, belonging and how to relate to others. When visual conditions are stereotyped, it can reinforce feelings of embarrassment and difference.
For children wearing a patch, these feelings can lead to skipping treatment days and poorer outcomes. In contrast, authentic, positive representation can build self-esteem, promote acceptance, and provide relatable role models.
A subtle but powerful shift
Happily, things are starting to change. In recent Disney/Pixar films, we’ve seen characters with glasses portrayed as dynamic, central figures: Encanto’s Mirabel, Turning Red’s Priya and Mei, and Big Hero 6’s scientist-superhero Honey Lemon, for example. These characters challenge old stereotypes and broaden the narrative around vision.
Elio continues that progress. The young protagonist’s eye patch is not a plot point, nor is it used to symbolise frailty, villainy or wisdom. It simply exists – a quiet part of his identity, not something to overcome.
That subtlety is powerful. For children who wear patches, seeing someone like Elio leading a space mission, not sidelined by his visual condition, can be deeply affirming.
Beyond the screen, Elio has sparked conversation and awareness. Prevent Blindness launched a campaign around the film to raise public understanding of amblyopia and the importance of early detection. Eye care organisations have also used the film as an educational tool, while individuals have shared their stories of patching and treatment across social media.
When amblyopia is recognised and treated early, patching can be remarkably effective. But awareness is key, and so is reducing stigma that might discourage children from wearing their patch.
Childhood amblyopia research
Although patching often restores vision, it doesn’t work for every child – and we still don’t fully understand why. There is limited research into how patching affects the developing brain, and this lack of insight hinders improvements in treatment.
Our research with Holly Bridge, Vision Group leader at Oxford University, aims to change that. We’re studying how patching changes brain chemistry in young children.
Adult studies suggest that chemical shifts in visual parts of the brain may be linked to patching outcomes. To explore this in children, we’re running a study of five to eight-year-olds with amblyopia or healthy vision.
In our study, children with amblyopia receive a safe, non-invasive brain scan before and after patching treatment. We also measure their vision using child-friendly tests. We then compare these results to children with healthy vision who don’t wear a patch, helping us to understand both visual changes and brain development.
We hope Elio marks the beginning of more inclusive storytelling, where difference isn’t erased or exaggerated, but simply woven into the fabric of character and adventure. Like Elio’s journey through space, the path to better understanding and representation of childhood visual conditions has faced challenges.
But perhaps this is the launch we needed: towards better awareness, better research, and a future where every child feels seen – on screen and beyond.
EXCLUSIVE: Disney’s A Lilo & Stitch continues to upend the box office with the duo taking out Warner Bros and Legendary’s pigs and chickens pixelated pic A Minecraft Movie to become the highest grossing MPA movie year-to-date with $957.6 million worldwide and $553.9 million international. A Minecraft Movie stands at $954.9M million worldwide and $530.9M abroad. They are the only two movies to surpass $900M currently in 2025.
Lilo & Stich is currently in its sixth week at the box office.
Note the Dean Fleischer Camp directed movie is still on track to become the first billion-dollar grossing Hollywood title of 2025. Also, in all fairness to A Minecraft Movie, they’re still the highest grossing movie stateside with $423.9M to Lilo & Stitch‘s $403.7M. They’re also the only two pics to cross the four century mark stateside.
As the box office in post Covid and strike times provides more confidence to studios about the potency of theatrical, here’s another big takeaway for the industry, and that’s that there’s big business in beloved nostalgic female properties, i.e. Lilo & Stitch (62% women), How to Train Your Dragon (50% women) and Moana 2 (71%). No pressure, Disney, but all eyes are on the sequel Freakier Friday with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan on Aug. 8.
To date, Lilo & Stitch top territories are as follows: Mexico ($66.1M), UK ($47.1M), France ($39.8M), Brazil ($36M), Germany ($30.2M), Spain ($25.9M), China ($25.2M), Italy ($24.5M), Argentina ($19M), Australia ($18.8M), Japan ($16.3M) and Central America ($15.8M). Lilo & Stitch is already the highest grossing film of 2025 in France, Italy, Spain, Brazil and Mexico as well as all the Latin American countries and many other markets.
Lilo & Stitch is in the top all-time industry lists of such markets as Brazil and Mexico as well as the Latin America region as a whole. It’s also the highest grossing Disney live-action title of all-time in Mexico as well as several smaller markets.
Lilo & Stitch opened domestically to $182.6M 4-day, repping the biggest 4-day Memorial Day weekend opening of all time, ahead of Top Gun Maverick’s $160.5M. Across all 4-day holiday weekend openings, Lilo & Stitch had the second biggest ever, only behind Black Panther‘s $242M (President’s Day Wknd 2018).
As we’ve always noted, it was logical that Disney would make a live-action take of the 2002 animated movie (which only made $145.7M domestic, $274.7M worldwide). The Lilo & Stitch franchise in series and the original pic has driven over 579 million hours on Disney+ around the globe. The original Lilo & Stitch has accounted for more than 306M hours of viewing on the OTT service. Disney+ global. Retail sales for Stitch have grown from $0.2B in 2019 to $2.6B in 2024, representing a ten-fold increase. Stitch is one of 11 evergreen franchises for the Walt Disney Company that has surpassed $1B in retail sales last year (Stitch being in the top 10). A live-action sequel was announced last week.
Royalty and celebrities were out in full force on day four of Wimbledon, turning the iconic tennis tournament into a true spectacle of star power.
Among those soaking up the action from the Royal Box on Thursday were Prince Michael of Kent first cousin of King Charles and Lady Amelia Windsor, the fashion-forward granddaughter of the Duke of Kent.
Prince Michael was seen watching the high stakes match between Britain’s Daniel Evans and Serbian tennis titan Novak Djokovic.
He attended solo this year, following appearances by his wife, Princess Michael of Kent, and daughter Lady Gabriella Kingston earlier in the week.
Princess Michael made her Wimbledon outing on Wednesday, watching defending champion Carlos Alcaraz take on British hopeful Oliver Tarvet from the Royal Box.
Lady Gabriella made a rare public appearance on Day 2 of the tournament, seen warmly chatting with Robert Denning, philanthropist and Metropolitan Museum of Art board member.
But the royals weren’t the only high-profile names courtside. The famous faces continued with adventurer Bear Grylls, comedian Jack Whitehall, and Newcastle United’s rising star Anthony Gordon among the crowd.
Former footballer Peter Crouch and model wife Abbey Clancy were also spotted, alongside Hollywood heavyweight John Cena and beloved TV host Cat Deeley.
Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas brought Hollywood glamour to the Royal Box at Wimbledon, turning heads with their stylish appearance on Centre Court.
Beloved British actress Celia Imrie was spotted looking lovely in a soft pink ensemble, seated front row beside former Foreign Secretary William Hague.
