Michael Madsen’s actress sister Virginia breaks silence on his death

Michael Madsen’s family are in mourning after the actor’s shocking death.

His younger sister, actress Virginia Madsen, addressed his sudden passing, shortly after the “Donnie Brasco” star was found unresponsive by authorities in his Malibu, Calif., home on Thursday, July 3.

Michael was 67.

“My brother Michael has left the stage,” Virginia, 63, told Variety in a statement. “He was thunder and velvet. Mischief wrapped in tenderness. A poet disguised as an outlaw. A father, a son, a brother — etched in contradiction, tempered by love that left its mark.”

The actress — known for her roles in “Candy Man” (1992) and “Sideways” (2004) — made it clear: “We’re not mourning a public figure. We’re not mourning a myth — but flesh and blood and ferocious heart. Who stormed through life loud, brilliant, and half on fire. Who leaves us echoes — gruff, brilliant, unrepeatable — half legend, half lullaby.”

Virginia ended her heartfelt statement on a personal note.

“I’ll miss our inside jokes, the sudden laughter, the sound of him. I’ll miss the boy he was before the legend; I miss my big brother. Thank you to everyone reaching out with love and memory. In time, we’ll share how we plan to celebrate his life — but for now, we stay close, and let the silence say what words can’t,” she concluded.

Virginia and Michael supported each other during their careers, often appearing on the red carpet together at each other’s premieres.

Michael appeared in several cult-classic films over the years, including several Quentin Tarantino films like “Reservoir Dogs” (1992), “Kill Bill” Volumes 1 and 2 in 2003 and 2004, “The Hateful Eight” (2015) and “Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood” (2019).

Two of his former co-stars, Harvey Keitel and Vivica A. Fox, also reacted to the news of his passing.

“We’ve lost another great American poet. Farewell, my dear friend,” Keitel, 86, exclusively told The Post, noting his off-camera talent.

Besides his legendary film career, Michael was a published poet and has a book, titled “Tears for My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems,” due out next year.

Tarantino wrote in the foreword for the book: “For me, the real journey that Michael the writer is exploring is what it means to be a man in a world where the notions of manhood that some of us grew up with are barely remembered. But then if everybody embarked on the hero’s journey, everybody would be a hero, wouldn’t they?”

“Michael was a talented man with an AMAZING on screen presence! My deepest condolences & prayers to his family. #GoneToSoon #RestInParadise,” Fox exclusively told The Post via email.

Michael was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:25 a.m., a representative for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed to The Post.

His death is believed to be from natural causes, according to law enforcement, who revealed that no foul play is suspected.

Michael’s team released a joint statement, with his manager, Ron Smith, saying the actor died from cardiac arrest.

“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,” his reps — managers Smith and Susan Ferris and publicist Liz Rodriguez — told The Post.

“Michael was also preparing to release a new book called ‘Tears for My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems,’ currently being edited,” they continued. “Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.”

The Chicago-born actor’s feature film debut came in the 1983 sci-fi techno thriller “WarGames,” however, during her four-decade-career, he quickly became typecast as a tough guy — a move he said stemmed from his role as Mr. Blonde in “Reservoir Dogs.”

“I think it was the Tarantino phenomenon. It hit so hard, it was such a big punch. Quentin is, in my estimation, the best director of my generation. He’s up there with George Stevens and Alfred Hitchcock, Elia Kazan,” Michael told The Hollywood reporter in 2018.

“Because of that, because of my relationship with him, it became bigger than anything I ever did. And then ‘Kill Bill’ put the final stamp on that one. It’s a great blessing to have that and at the same time, it is really hard to get out of it. And people don’t want you to get out of it.”

He added, “It’s really hard to break out of that nest once you’ve built it.”

Michael is survived by his estranged wife DeAnna Madsen, whom he filed for divorce from in September 2024, his sisters and his remaining children, including “Divergent” actor Christian Madsen.

His son, Hudson, died by suicide in 2022.