Michael Madsen’s cause of death has been identified.
Five days after the Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill actor was discovered dead at his Malibu, Calif., home at the age of 67, NBC4 Los Angeles reported on Tuesday, July 8, that Madsen’s doctor indicated he died of heart failure.
According to the publication, Madsen’s doctor stated that heart failure will be reported as the cause of death, with heart disease and drinking as contributory causes.
The NBC station also said that an autopsy would not be performed since Madsen’s cardiologist signed his death certificate and that the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department had completed its investigation into Madsen’s death and declared it natural.
Spokespeople with the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department did not immediately reply to PEOPLE’s inquiries.
After Madsen’s corpse was discovered on July 3, a local sheriff’s department told NBC4 Los Angeles that the actor’s death seemed to be natural, with no foul play suspected.
“What we understand is Michael had a cardiac arrest and was found unresponsive in his Malibu home earlier this morning,” Madsen’s manager, Ron Smith, stated at the time.
The managers of the Donnie Brasco actor, Smith, and Susan Ferris, and publicist Liz Rodriguez issued a statement following his death, stating, “Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.”
“In the last two years, Michael Madsen has been doing some incredible work with independent films, including the upcoming feature films Resurrection Road, Concessions, and Cookbook for Southern Housewives, and I was really looking forward to this next chapter in his life.”
Smith, Ferris, and Rodriguez said, “Michael was also preparing to release a new book called Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems, which is currently being edited.”
Aside from Tarantino productions, Madsen was recognized for parts such as Jimmy Lennox in Thelma & Louise (1991), Glen Greenwood in Free Willy (1993), and, perhaps most memorably, Dominick “Sonny Black” Napolitano in Donnie Brasco (1997).
Following Madsen’s death, tributes came in, notably from his actor sister, Virginia Madsen, who said in a statement to Variety, “My brother Michael has departed the stage. He embodied thunder and velvet. His persona was a combination of mischief and kindness. A poet posing as an outlaw: “A father, a son, a brother—etched in contradiction, tempered by love that left its mark.”
“We’re not mourning a public figure,” said Virginia, 63. “We are not grieving a fiction, but rather flesh, blood, and a violent heart. Who surged through life, shouting, bright, and partly on fire. Who leaves us with echoes that are rough, dazzling, and unrepeatable—part tale, half lullaby.”
She said, “I’ll miss our inner jokes, the unexpected laughter, and the sound of him. I’ll miss the youngster he was before the legend; I miss my older brother. Thank you to everyone who reached out with love and memories. We’ll reveal how we want to commemorate his life later, but for the time being, we’ll stay close and let quiet speak for itself.”