It grossed $2.8m at the box office and helped writer-director Quentin Tarantino hijack Hollywood.

But actor Michael Madsen, who played one of the most memorable scenes in film -- dancing around a tied-up police officer wielding a razor blade -- has revealed he earned only union rates for his role as Mister Blonde in hit film 'Reservoir Dogs'.

"If I had even had 5pc of that film, I could have retired on the spot, and still put my five sons through college.

"But we all did it for Screen Actors Guild rates of $1,500 a week," Mr Madsen told the Irish Independent.

The star revealed he had such little faith in 'Reservoir Dogs', he didn't even go and see it when it was released. "I was a very young naive man at the time, working on what I thought was a small budget film but I got a whole career out of it."

The 54-year-old was in Dublin for a special screening of 'Reservoir Dogs' in CHQ last night as part of the Jameson Cult Film Club.

He credits co-star Harvey Keitel, who did receive a fee for helping producers secure funding, for persuading him to join the cast.

But he hasn't looked back since, with more Tarantino directed roles in 'Kill Bill:Vol 1' and 'Kill Bill Vol 2', and films including 'Donnie Brasco' and 'Mulholland Falls'.

The CHQ was transformed into the warehouse from Reservoir Dogs, for the special screening of the movie in front of 500 film fans.