WASHINGTON — Virginia Madsen penned a touching tribute to her older brother Michael following the news of his sudden death. 

Michael, who was best known for his roles on Quentin Tarantino movies, died on July 3 at age 67. While no cause of death has been officially announced, Michael's manager Ron Smith said cardiac arrest was the apparent cause. 

Hours after the news of her brother's death, the Oscar-nominated actress paid tribute to her sibling on social media. 

"My brother Michael has left the stage. He was thunder and velvet. Mischief wrapped in tenderness. A poet disguised as an outlaw. A father, a son, a brother—etched in contradiction, tempered by love that left its mark," Virginia said on Instagram. "We’re not mourning a public figure. We’re not mourning a myth— but flesh and blood and ferocious heart." 

"I’ll miss our inside jokes, the sudden laughter, the sound of him. I’ll miss the boy he was before the legend. I miss my big brother," she added. "Thank you to everyone reaching out with love and memory. In time, we’ll share how we plan to celebrate his life. But for now—we stay close, and let the silence say what words can’t."

Michael starred in several Tarantino movies including: "Reservoir Dogs," "Kill Bill: Vol. 2," "The Hateful Eight" and "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," and other movies like "Thelma & Louise" in 1991, "Free Willy" in 1993, and "Scary Movie 4" in 2006.

His decades-long career spanned more than 300 credits. 

Before his death, the 67-year-old actor was reportedly working on independent feature films "Resurrection Road, "Concessions" and "Cookbook for Southern Housewives," according to his manager. 

Michael was found unresponsive in his home in Malibu, California, on July 3 and pronounced dead by authorities, the Associated Press reported. 

Krys Shahin contributed to this report.