MI6 caught up with Michael Madsen while he was on hiatus on his latest European based project "Red Light Runners". In the final part of this interview we more about his role in "Die Another Day", his career on and off screen, and much more…

Interview - Michael Madsen (Part 2)
5th January 2004

MI6 caught up with Michael Madsen while he was on hiatus on his latest European based project "Red Light Runners". In the final part of this interview we more about his role in "Die Another Day", his career on and off screen, and much more…

Die Another Day...

You have a very honest film review section on your official web site, so were does "Die Another Day" fit into your listing?
I'd say Bond was very exciting, very watchable. It is definitely somewhere near the top. I wish I'd had more to do. But as far as the movies are concerned, or the part that I did in the film, I don't have anything negative to say about it

Who is your favourite Bond? Sean Connery Did you get to see the Jinx Script? Which was the Halle Berry's Bond spin off…? No, I heard about it, a couple of people told me about it and they were going to send it to me but I never got, it so I don't know what ever happened to that. What is your favourite Bond moment from the series? There have been so many. I mean, Pierce had so many in "Die Another Day". It would be hard for me to pick one out. I guess I liked that bit that they always show with Sean sitting in the casino lighting up the cigarette and someone asks what his name is… "Bond, James Bond". Left: Mulholland Falls Poster

What did director Lee Tamahori bring to your scenes? What was he like to work with again?
Lee knows me well from Mulholland Falls, so all I really had to do was hit my mark and my dialogue. He doesn't cast people in his movies unless he knows already knows what they're going to do.

Directing a Bond film is a hard job, man. I mean it's a big, big thing for somebody to take on. He was a pretty busy man, pretty busy focusing on a lot of different things so I don't think he was preoccupied with Michael Madsen, but he was certainly kind to me. He gave me a couple of good moments.

It was my idea to have the cigarette, by the way. I had to do something and I was running out of time and there really wasn't much to do with that character, so I got a cigarette at the end of the rehearsal and I said "Why doesn't Falco just light up a smoke?" We were laughing and he said "well no, that's a good idea. Okay, why don't we do that?" So we did a take without a cigarette because I know the smoking thing is becoming this scourged thing. This is fine but it really isn't good for people blah blah blah….. But you know in the cinema…. I never thought they would actually use it. I figured that they would use the take without the cigarette, play it safe, but they didn't. I thought that was really cool. I thought it gave my character a nice little ending.

Above: Michael Madsen in Kill Bill Image courtesy Miramax

You've worked with Lee Tamahori twice, how does his directing style compare to other directors you've worked with?
Well I think Lee is a very structured guy, he's a very serious guy. Very serious and very structured.

What was it like working along side Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry & Dame Judi Dench?
Well Judi Dench is a lot of fun. She's got a great sense of humour and she's not the stodgy character she plays in the films. She's a lot more light hearted than that. We had a few laughs and I really got along great with Halle. I talked to her about a couple of other projects that I thought we could do together. There was an interesting dynamic between our characters, you know. There was supposed to be some sexual tension between the two of us but I think they kind of downplayed it for that particular scene because they didn't want to make it out to be that she'd been sleeping about all over the place with lots of different MI6 agents!

For how long were you on the set of Die Another Day?
I think I worked on it for about 3 weeks.

What has been your most enjoyable/character role to date? I would have to say "Kill Bill: Volume Two." I play Bill's little brother, "Budd." Bill is David Carradine and I play his little brother 'Budd'. So I'm Budd, he is kind of retired from the Viper Squad and he's a bouncer in a strip club and he lives in a trailer. He's a rather sad character. But I think he may be the moral conscience of the film. What film have you personally enjoyed making the most? Well, I would have to say most likely "Kill Bill" because it was my resurrection with my relationship with Quentin. We had a wonderful crew and such a great character and I also had a lot fun making "The Getaway." That was kind of a crazy time in my life. I really had such a gas making that film and of course I have wonderful memories of "Reservoir Dogs", being one of those characters was so cool, but if I had to pick a favourite movie that I've ever done, I would have to say "Kill Bill". Left: Kill Bill Poster Volume 2 courtesy of Empire Movies

What do you do in your spare time?
I just try to spend as much time with my sons as I can. That's really my focus in life. I brought all four of them over to London and we had a really cool time. We went all over the place - St Paul's, the London Eye and HMS Belfast. We actually went there twice. I split my sons up into shifts, so I kind of do everything twice. We went to Trafalgar Square a couple of times and to the Naval Museum. We also went to Cutty Sark and to a great little pub over there called the Gypsy Moth. We went to every park in the city that's for sure. There a lot of beautiful leaves out there this time of year.

Many thanks to Michael Madsen.

MI6 Biography Name: Michael Madsen Portfolio "Die Another Day" - Damian Falco

Exclusive "Blueberry" stills
Below: Michael Madsen as Wallace Sebastian Blount in his forthcoming film Blueberry, Image courtesy UGC International.

Related Articles:
Interview - Michael Madsen (Part 1)
Die Another Day MI6 Movie Coverage
Official "Blueberry" website
Official "Kill Bill" website

Michael Madsen Autographs to be Won! Michael Madsen is kindly giving away a mixture of autographs to lucky MI6 readers. Simply answer the question correctly for your chance to win: COMPETITION CLOSED - 31/01/04

Above: Michael Madsen autograph

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