"Get out of here, it's a no!": this American actor, a Tarantino regular, firmly turned down Laurent Baffie who wanted to give him the lead role in his film

Among the many celebrities approached for this comedy by Laurent Baffie, a key figure in American cinema offered a memorable refusal. A rare sequence featuring the late Michael Madsen that few fans have had the chance to see.

The death of Michael Madsen, which occurred on July 3, 2025, at the age of 67, brought to mind a lesser-known anecdote from his career. Before becoming associated with Quentin Tarantino's films, the American actor briefly crossed paths with a French comedian... without this encounter leading to a collaboration.

An unexpected cameo

In 2003, Laurent Baffie stepped behind the camera to direct Les Clefs de bagnole, an absurd comedy for which he also wrote the screenplay and starred as a man on a quest... for his car keys. Daniel Russo notably shares the screen in this deliberately offbeat film.

The opening of the feature film is based on an original concept: Laurent Baffie invites major producers and several French celebrities to participate in his project. They all appear as themselves and consecutively decline, giving rise to a long humorous sequence where no one seems willing to embark on the adventure.

Michael Madsen was also among the refusals

Among the many personalities approached was Michael Madsen. The actor, known for his performances in Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, and Donnie Brasco, had indeed filmed a sequence intended for the movie. However, his contribution was ultimately not included in the final cut and is only visible among the bonus features of the DVD edition.

Miramax Films

His appearance is extremely brief, lasting barely two seconds, but his refusal leaves no room for doubt. Faced with Laurent Baffie, he simply states: "Get out of here, it's a no!"

He joins the long list of personalities who declined the director's proposal in these cut scenes, including Andy Garcia, Éric & Ramzy, Vincent Cassel, Bernard Tapie, Christophe Lambert, Romain Duris, and Alain Delon.

Here are the refusals in question:

An indirect nod to Tarantino

The film also maintains a more subtle connection with Michael Madsen. During a robbery scene, the character played by Daniel Russo makes a reference to Quentin Tarantino.

This detail is not trivial since Daniel Russo had previously participated in the world of Reservoir Dogs. In the French version of the film, he indeed lent his voice to the character played by Harvey Keitel, while Michael Madsen was among the main roles in the famous feature film.

Les Clefs de bagnole is currently only available on DVD.