Unews World
Michael Madsen, a star in Reservoir Dogs, died last month on July 3 in his home in Malibu. Quentin Tarantino, his frequent collaborator, has given him a tribute.
It included hosting a memorial at his Vista Theatre, as TMZ reported, where he said on stage, “It was the last hour of the last day of the first week of shooting. So, I had never directed a movie before.”
During his speech, the director recalled how difficult it was to work with the late actor. “And Lawrence Tierney was a ******* nightmare. He was completely insane. He was so crazy, and I’d never directed before, so I’m dealing with a crazy man Monday through Saturday.”
He shared, “All the other actors and the crew can’t stand him. And all of a sudden, he yells at me or something, does something disrespectful. The other times, he was being disrespectful, but he didn’t quite mean it. This time, he meant it.”
This behaviour prompted Quentin, recounted, to fire Michael, leading the Reservoir Dogs cast and crew to applaud the decision.
But it was the 62-year-old’s debut movie as a filmmaker, so the termination of the Free Willy star made him think his career was over.
“I just spent a week shooting this fucking guy, now I just fired him,” he remembered. “Live Entertainment is gonna ****** fire me. That’s it for my career. It was nice while it lasted. But I had to do it, I had to stand up for myself.”
Meanwhile, Michael dropped a message to Quentin, backing him for his decision to fire him.
“‘Yeah, Quentin, it’s Michael. Just calling to say that I really respected what you did tonight. It was important, and needed to be done. He was busting your balls and you had to do it,’ he added.
“And I want you to know that I respect it, as a director, I respect it as a captain, and I respect it as a man. So, I’m on your side, buddy. Thanks,” Quentin concluded.
Michael had a rich career spanning over four decades. His credits include Kill Bill: Vols. 1 & 2, The Hateful Eight, and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.
