“Candyman” actress Virginia Madsen opened up in an interview with People about the special way she honored her nephew Hudson, who died from a self-inflicted wound after returning from his tour in Afghanistan. Hudson was the son of the late actor, Michael Madsen, who starred in over 300 film and television roles.
After holding regret for years, wishing she had a way to help Hudson, Madsen decided to create an entire film that mirrors her nephew’s experience as an Army veteran. The film, “Sheepdog,” will premiere on Jan. 16 and deliver a raw look into the PTSD that Hudson experienced after his return in 2018.
“I had all this grief and guilt, and I was able to put that into action that I believed would help people,” she expressed.
‘I Didn’t Know He Was in Trouble’
While “Sheepdog” has healed a part of her that she needed, Madsen still carries the weight of her last memories with her nephew. “He was going on a hike near my house with his brothers, his wife and his cousins,” she told People about the last time she saw Hudson before his death. “He came over to say hi, and I got to hug him, and then he went back.”
Madsen explained how she doesn’t know the exact details of what led to Hudson’s suicide in January 2022 at the age of 26, as he felt that pain quietly. “I didn’t know he was in trouble. That’s one of the things he carried alone,” she said.
Madsen, who was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the 2004 film “Sideways,” told the outlet that she was permitted by Hudson’s family, including his widowed wife, Carrie, and his father, to create “Sheepdog,” in which she plays the role of a therapist to soldiers.
Virginia Madsen Hopes to Raise Awareness for Veteran PTSD
“He was on my mind every moment of every day, wondering whether I was doing it right, whether it was all right to make a movie. I just felt the need to talk about it, for this to be more of a conversation in this country,” Madsen shared.
Madsen explained how her role in the new film introduces helplines, yoga, pamphlets and group therapy to soldiers — something she couldn’t help but wonder if Hudson was given access to before his death at the Army Base in Oahu. “I kept thinking, ‘Did he see a billboard like that? Did he get any of that help?’” she questioned. “And I really lost it that day. I just cried and grieved because he didn’t get that help. I wish he could have been home and was able to get help.”
Madsen said that before Hudson left for his tour in Afghanistan, “everyone was proud of him.” She explained how he started training himself, dedicating his time to ensuring he was ready. When he made his return home, Madsen said Hudson planned to “start a family and be a firefighter and have the brotherhood of firefighters.”
