10 Actors Who Peaked Way Too Soon

After a relatively slow start in the industry, Michael Madsen scored a peach of a role in Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. As the psychopathic Mr Blonde, the hulking actor was charismatic and frightening, loathsome but somehow likeable. He had the most iconic part with the most iconic scene in one of the most iconic movies of the ‘90s - there was no way things could go wrong.

Well, they sort of did. He had to decline the John Travolta role in Pulp Fiction to appear in Wyatt Earp - the film was a dud, the choice was a bad one. The quality of his parts deteriorated throughout the ‘90s, with the exception of a decent part in Donnie Brasco.

Things got leaner still in the 2000s, with the direct-to-video titles piling up. While his old buddy Tarantino can be relied upon to throw him a bone - including a chunky turn in The Hateful Eight - there’s little else to write home about.

Madsen seems a victim of fortune - who knows what might have happened had he appeared in Pulp Fiction? Then again, looking at John Travolta’s post-QT career, perhaps he got off lightly.