- - Virginia Madsen Honors Nephew, a Serviceman Who Died By Suicide, in New Film: ‘I Wish He Was Able to Get Help’ (Exclusive)

Liz McNeilJanuary 14, 2026 at 8:00 AM

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Magdalena Wosinska

Virginia Madsen -

Virginia Madsen opens up about her nephew, Hudson Madsen, an Army sergeant, who died by suicide in January 2022: "He was a golden child"

"There's forever a missing piece in your family when someone young leaves," she says of the loss

Her new film, Sheepdog, opening Jan. 16, tells the story of the struggles military veterans face when they come home. "I made this film to honor him"

The last time Virginia Madsen saw her nephew, Hudson Madsen, he was on leave from the Army, back in 2018. “He was going on a hike near my house with his brothers, his wife and his cousins,“ she tells PEOPLE in this week's issue. “He came over to say hi and I got to hug him and then he went back.”

Hudson, the son of her older brother, the late actor Michael Madsen, died by self-inflicted gunshot in January 2022. He was 26 years old and had recently completed one tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Virginia doesn't know details of what led up to Hudson’s suicide at the Army Base in Oahu, where he was then living with his wife, Carlie. “I didn't know he was in trouble,” she says. “That’s one of the things he carried alone.”

For Virginia, who earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in Sideways in 2004, the loss would eventually lead her to be part of a new film, Sheepdog, opening in theaters Jan. 16, about the struggles combat veterans face after returning home.

Courtesy Virginia Madsen

Virginia Madsen's nephew, Hudson, with his grandma Elaine in 2021

“I made this film to honor him,” says the actress, 64, who plays a therapist for soldiers with 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.”

Steven Grayhm, Sheepdog’s director, writer and one of the film's lead actors, and his work on behalf of veterans, played a big role in her decision. She was impressed by his commitment and the 14-year quest of he and partner Matt Dallas (who also stars in the film) to make the film.

With her family’s blessing, including that of her brother Michael, as well as Hudson’s widow, she took the part. “I had all this grief and guilt and I was able to put that into action that I believed would help people,” says Virginia.

She recalls a particular scene where her character, Dr. Elecia Knox, walks down a hallway with a bulletin board full of pamphlets for yoga, group therapy, and a hotline number for soldiers. “I kept thinking, ‘Did he see a billboard like that? Did he get any of that help?'" she says. "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,” she adds.

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Sheepdog

Virginia remembers Hudson as "artistic and sensitive, a golden child and so lovable." When preparing to join the Army, she recalls, “He started training on his own, filling a backpack and climbing up mountains and hiking all over Malibu." She also remembers how hopeful his family was before he was deployed: "Everyone was really proud of him."

Once he left the military, she says, "He thought he would come back here and start a family and be a firefighter and have the brotherhood of firefighters."

She hopes the film brings more attention to soldiers and their needs once they are no longer on the battlefield. As she reflects, “They are trained for war. They are not trained to come home.”

Meeting soldiers, veterans and Gold Star families at Sheepdog screenings, has been especially moving. “People would want to stay after the film, and there were lots of hugs and trading stories," she says, "and everyone would always say 'What was his name?' I would say 'Hudson' and they'd say 'What was Hudson like?' It gave me a place to talk about it. There was a real bond that was made and began this healing process for me."

Says Steven Grayhm, “Virginia bared her heart and soul on screen, delivering a performance of profound empathy, strength and humanity... Through her performance, I believe with all my heart that Virginia has honored the memory and legacy of her nephew with grace, integrity and profound humanity."

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”