Did you know Michael Madsen had turned down Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction?

Actor Michael Madsen sadly passed away at the age of 67 after suffering a cardiac arrest. In a career spanning four decades, Madsen has been part of some iconic films like The Doors, Thelma & Louise, Species, and Donnie Brasco. The actor is most known for his collaborations with director Quentin Tarantino, having worked with Tarantino in his debut film Reservoir Dogs as well as Kill Bill: Volume 1 and Volume 2. But did you know that Tarantino offered Madsen a major role in Pulp Fiction, but the actor turned him down?

Why Michael Madsen turned down Pulp Fiction

For the uninitiated, Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction was a path-breaking hit that won multiple awards, including the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and is widely regarded as the director's best film. The movie was released in 1994, split into different chapters, and primarily focuses on two hitmen: Vincent Vega, played by John Travolta (the role helped revitalise Travolta's career), and Jules Winnfield, played by Samuel L. Jackson.

Years after the film's release, Tarantino had shared that he wanted Michael Madsen, who had worked with him in Reservoir Dogs, for the role of Vincent Vega, but the actor turned him down. There was much speculation online after the news broke as to why, and Madsen would offer clarity in the documentary QT8: The First Eight, a film chronicling the life of Quentin Tarantino and his movies up to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Madsen's reason for declining

Speaking about Pulp Fiction, the actor revealed that he turned down the role due to scheduling conflicts "I was already committed to Wyatt Earp. And now, here's Quentin, wants me to do Pulp Fiction. And they were both going at the same time."

But the actor also clarified he had no qualms about missing out on the role and went on to praise Travolta and how it helped revitalise his career.

"Isn't it true that part of John Travolta being in it, it became John's comeback? He was doing movies about talking babies! And suddenly he's Vincent Vega! He had that wig on. No one had seen Travolta with a f***ing gun. That's a huge, huge, huge reason why the movie worked."