Steven Vincent Buscemi[5] was born on December 13, 1957,[6] in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City, to Dorothy (née Wilson) and John Buscemi.[5][7] His father was a sanitation worker and served in the Korean War, and his mother was a hostess at Howard Johnson's. Buscemi's paternal ancestors were from the town of Menfi in Sicily, Italy and his mother is of English and Dutch ancestry.[8][9] He has three brothers: Jon, Ken and Michael. Michael is also an actor, whose most notable role to date was as Officer Jimmy in BlacKkKlansman (2018). Buscemi was raised Catholic.[9]
He gained wider attention for his supporting part as pseudonymous criminal Mr. Pink in Quentin Tarantino's crime film Reservoir Dogs (1992),[24] a role that Tarantino originally wrote for himself,[18] and one that earned Buscemi the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male in his second nomination.[25] Also in 1992, he had a guest role as Phil Hickle, Ellen's father and older Pete's guidance counselor, in The Adventures of Pete and Pete.[26] The following year, he starred as the eponymous character in the horror comedy film Ed and His Dead Mother (1993).[27]
He also appeared in a cameo appearance in Tarantino's next film, Pulp Fiction, where he portrays a waiter dressed as Buddy Holly who serves Mia Wallace and Vincent Vega.[28] He endeared himself to comedy fans as Rex, bass player of The Lone Rangers, in the 1994 comedy Airheads. In 1995, Buscemi guest-starred as suspected murderer Gordon Pratt in "End Game", an episode of the television series Homicide: Life on the Street. Buscemi was rumored to be considered for the role of The Scarecrow in Joel Schumacher's proposed fifth installment of the first Batman franchise, Batman Unchained, before Warner Bros. cancelled the project.[29] In 1995 he also starred alongside Tarantino and Antonio Banderas in Desperado, and played the lead role in the independent satire film Living in Oblivion.
In 2004, Buscemi joined the cast of the acclaimed HBO crime television series The Sopranos as Tony Soprano's cousin and childhood friend, Tony Blundetto, a role that earned him an Emmy Award nomination.[37] Buscemi had previously contributed to the show as director of the third-season episode "Pine Barrens", which was one of the most critically acclaimed episodes of the series, and the fourth-season episode "Everybody Hurts".[38] He appeared in episode three of season 6 as a doorman in the afterlife, which is portrayed as a country club in Tony Soprano's dream. He also directed the episodes "In Camelot", the seventh episode of season 5, and "Mr. & Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request...", the fifth episode of season 6.
He hosts, directs, and produces his own web series talk show, Park Bench with Steve Buscemi, which debuted in May 2014.[46] Buscemi won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Variety Series for the series in 2016. In January 2016, Buscemi began co-starring alongside Louis C.K. and Alan Alda in C.K.'s acclaimed comedy-drama web series Horace and Pete.[47] In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Buscemi was the first actor to sign on to the project; with Boardwalk Empire over he was available to star in the series. The two reportedly "met up in New York City where C.K. pitched the still evolving series idea to Buscemi. He signed on, on the spot, to play C.K.'s brother, Pete".[48]
In addition to feature films, he directed episodes of the television shows Love, Homicide: Life on the Street,The Sopranos, Oz, 30 Rock, Portlandia, and Nurse Jackie. In the latter, his brother Michael played the character God in several episodes. While scouting a location for a film, Buscemi visited the Philadelphia Eastern State Penitentiary and found the building so interesting that he later provided the majority of the narration for the audio tour there.[51][52]
Reception and image
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Buscemi was adamant about not altering his misaligned teeth, saying, "I've had dentists who have wanted to help me out, but I say, 'You know, I won't work again if you fix my teeth.'"[53][54] Buscemi is noted for wrinkles around his eyes, giving them an aged appearance. "Buscemi eyes" describes the result when his eyes are photo-edited onto others' faces. He has stated that although he did not find this amusing, his wife Jo Andres did.[55]
Buscemi guest-starred in season 6 episode 8 of 30 Rock as a private investigator. Playing against his image, during a flashback he appears to be disguised as a teenager as he says that he was "part of a special task force of very young-looking cops who infiltrated high schools".[57][58] His character's disguise and quote of "how do you do, fellow kids?" became an internet meme.[59]
Buscemi grew up pronouncing his name as (/buːˈsɛmi/, in an anglicised way. In Sicily, where his ancestors are from, it is pronounced as /buːˈʃɛmi/.[1] He once quipped, "I had to go to Sicily to find out I pronounce my name wrong."[60][unreliable source?]
Buscemi married Jo Andres in 1987; they were married until her death on January 6, 2019.[61] They had one son named Lucian (b. 1990).[62]
Buscemi is a noted fan of the musical group Beastie Boys. He appears in the music video for the band's 2011 song "Make Some Noise", which was nominated for MTV Video of the Year.[65] He also has a post-credit scene in the Spike Jonze–directed documentary Beastie Boys Story in which he pokes fun at the commercial failure of the group's second studio album, Paul's Boutique; "When the tree fell in the forest, nobody heard that shit," jokes Buscemi.[66] Buscemi sang in "The Broadway Song" for Lou Reed's 2003 album The Raven.[67]
On May 8, 2024, Buscemi was the victim of an unprovoked attack in Midtown Manhattan, New York, when he was punched in the face.[69] The 66-year-old was taken to a nearby hospital with bruising, swelling and bleeding to his left eye. His publicist said later in a statement that Buscemi was okay and had recovered from the attack.[70][71]
Firefighter
Buscemi was a firefighter from 1980 to 1984, with the New York City Fire Department's Engine Company No. 55, in Little Italy, Manhattan, while secretly taking acting classes and dabbling in stand-up on the side. The day after the September 11 attacks in New York, he returned to his old firehouse to volunteer; he worked twelve-hour shifts for a week, and dug through rubble looking for missing firefighters.[72] On May 25, 2003, Buscemi was arrested with nineteen other people while protesting the closing of a number of firehouses, including Engine 55.[73] In the middle of 2011, Buscemi joined rallies against the threat of closing eight Brooklyn firehouses during the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He said that closing these firehouses "is no way to protect New York."[74]
In 2014, Buscemi starred in and narrated the HBO documentary A Good Job: Stories of the FDNY, in which he revisited his work with fellow firefighters. He shares their stories, including those from September 11.[75]
In 2021, Buscemi spoke to podcast host Marc Maron[76] about his issues with PTSD - a consequence of the five days he spent volunteering in the 9/11 aftermath. He was also the executive producer of the documentary movie 'Dust: The Lingering Legacy of 9/11', [77] which discussed the continuing toxic health effects of dust from the collapsed towers that many people, especially firefighters, have experienced.
In 2014, Buscemi was named Honorary battalion chief by the New York City Fire Department after his early career serving as a fireman, and for his return to the service during 9/11. He worked 12-hour shifts for several days alongside other firefighters, searching for survivors in the rubble from the World Trade Center.[78]
Notes
^As stated in interviews by Buscemi himself, some may insist that his pronunciation of his own name is "wrong" because it does not match the original Italian pronunciation as well. It is not uncommon for people to pronounce his name /buːˈʃeɪmi/ or /buːˈʃɛmi/ instead.
References
^ abCook, Kevin (August 10, 2011). "Playboy Interview: Steve Buscemi". Playboy: 41. Archived from the original on August 4, 2016. Retrieved August 10, 2011. I say Bu-semmy. I don't mind Bu-shemmy, though. That's the correct Sicilian pronunciation, from the old country.