Steve Buscemi filmography and biography

Date of birth: 13 December 1957, Brooklyn, New York, USA

Steve Buscemi biography

Steve Buscemi was born in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He became interested in acting during his last year of high school. After graduating, he moved to Manhattan to study acting with John Strasberg. He began writing and performing original theatre pieces with fellow actor/writer Mark Boone Junior. This led to his being cast in his first lead role in Parting Glances. Since then, he has worked with many of the top filmmakers in Hollywood, including Quentin Tarantino, Jerry Bruckheimer, and The Coen Brothers. He is a highly respected actor.

Steve Buscemi trivia

- Surname pronunced Buss-ehm-ee. Is of Italian and Irish-American ancestry.
- (October 1997) Ranked #52 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.
- Graduated in 1975 from Valley Stream Central High School, Valley Stream, NY. After graduation, he attended Nassau Community College and then moved to Manhattan to study acting at the famed Lee Strasberg Institute.
- Brother of Michael Buscemi.
- Was a New York City Fireman from 1980 to 1984, with Engine Company #55 in the Little Italy section of NY.
- One son, Lucian Buscemi, born in 1990.
- Has been cast in six movies by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, more appearances in Coen Brothers films than any other actor, exceeding by two films Frances McDormand, John Turturro and John Goodman (I). His character died in three of them: Millers Crossing, Fargo, and The Big Lebowski.
- (12 April 2001) Stabbed in the throat, head and arm during a barroom brawl at the Firebelly Lounge in Wilmington, North Carolina. The brawl also involved Vince Vaughn, who was arrested for brutalizing one of Buscemi's attackers. He suffered a deep cut to the face and now has a noticeable scar on his cheek. Heavy make-up is used to hide it in movies.
- (September 2001) Showed up at his old firehouse the day after the World Trade Center tragedy in New York to volunteer. Worked twelve hour shifts for a week after the terrorist act, digging through rubble with his old comrades looking for missing firefighters... anonymously.
- Bears such a strong resemblance to writer-director John Waters (I) that as a joke, Waters sent out cards with a photo of Buscemi made up to look like Waters.
- Modelled for H&M (2000).
- He went through a variety of interesting jobs before hitting it big as a character actor. He worked as a bartender, drove an ice-cream truck, attempted stand-up comedy, and (that which he is most proud of) was a firefighter (he continues to be a volunteer fire-fighter). He bombed so bad as a comic one night another comic took his place, Paul Reiser. Years later Buscemi and Reiser did an episode of Mad About You poking fun at the incident.
- Frequently is typecast as sleazy or crazed characters, with his roles as Tommy in Trees Lounge and Seymour in Ghost World being the closest he has come to being the romantic lead.
- Is one of the most prolific of today's actors, often starring in about 5 films a year.
- In addition to his acting work, he has gained praise as a director, most notably for Trees Lounge, Animal Factory and several episodes of The Sopranos.
- The band "Blessid Union of Souls" makes a reference to him in their hit song, "Hey Leonardo". They refer to him as "That guy who played in Fargo. I think his name is Steve."
- Auditioned for the part of George Costanza on Seinfeld.
- His mother is Irish-American.
- In 2003, as part of a year-long tourist promotion at the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he narrated the facility's audio tour.
- His character in Reservoir Dogs refuses to tip waitresses. He later made a cameo as a waiter in Pulp Fiction.
- Was good enough to be a varsity wrestler (105 lb weight class) on the wrestling team in high school. He was also a soccer player, and was considered a "jock" rather than a scholar. Years later, while on Late Night with Conan OBrien, Buscemi challenged Andy Richter (I) to a wrestling match when he found out Richter was on a high school wrestling team also. Much to Buscemi's embarrassment, Richter won, although Richter noted that fact the he is six inches taller and at least 100 pounds heavier might have given him an edge.
- #21 on Tropopkin's Top 25 Most Intriguing People [Issue #100]
- Played a character in Desperado whose character's name was his own last name.
- Was suppose to attend the Kosmorama International Film Festival in Trondheim, Norway in 2007, but canceled two weeks before.
- Was member of the dramatic jury at the Sundance Film Festival in 2003.
- His father, John, had hoped to be a television cameraman, but he ended up clearing garbage for the sanitation department. His mother, Dorothy, worked as a hostess in the Howard Johnson hotels.
- Has three brothers.
- Was born on a Friday the 13th.
- Went to a Catholic school.
- Grandmother had 5 children.
- Fractured his skull when he was hit by the bus when he was young. Some time later, he was hit by a car while chasing a ball which had rolled onto the street. He had cuts and bruises from this accident.
- Grew up in Valley Stream, New York, as did actors Edward Burns (I), James Martin Kelly, and Larry Miller (I).
- As of 2010, has appeared in six Coen Brothers films (Millers Crossing, The Hudsucker Proxy, Barton Fink, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and Paris, je taime), more than any other actor.
- Good friends with actor Stanley Tucci (I).

Steve Buscemi quotes

- My favorite review described me as the cinematic equivalent of junk mail. I don't know what that means, but it sounds like a dig.
- In the beginning, it wasn't even a question of deciding I'm going to do independent film and not commercial films -- I wasn't being offered any commercial films, and there wasn't an independent scene. I did a lot of "so-called" independent films that were really low-budget films trying to be commercial. But you certainly make choices when you have a script written by Jim Jarmusch or the Coen brothers or Alexandre Rockwell; I think any actor would feel lucky to be able to work on projects like that.
- It's weird; I was not a really tough guy in high school, but I end up playing all of these psychopaths and criminals. I don't really care who they are, as long as they are complicated and going through something that I can understand and put across.
- As much as you tell yourself, 'We made the film and here it is and that is enough,' you would like to come away with something.
- I don't tend to think of these characters as losers [I play]. I like the struggles that people have, people who are feeling like they don't fit into society, because I still sort of feel that way.
- When I get cast, I always flip to the end of the script to see if my character gets beaten up or killed. I really thought that after getting killed on The Sopranos I should not accept scripts where I die. I mean, there's nowhere to go after getting killed by Tony Soprano. But then I got offered this great part in The Island. I didn't even make it a third of the way through the movie. I have been surviving a lot more lately, though.
- The only thing I can compare the feeling of going onstage to is the fear you feel before going into a burning building. Once you go in there, the fear goes away and you're operating on adrenaline. And when it's over, if you've done well, it's something you've shared with these people you automatically feel close to.
- I admire any director who makes his living solely from directing. I'm fortunate enough to earn a decent wage by occasionally playing psychopaths in other people's movies, allowing me the luxury of not having to depend on the movies I direct to put food on the table. I especially admire independent directors like Tom DiCillo and Alexandre Rockwell, who never stop trying to create their own way.
- (On working on The Sopranos) I feel really privileged to have been a part of it and to have worked that closely with it, as a director and as an actor. And as an audience member, I'm still in awe of the show. For me, it never lost that sense of, 'Holy shit... this is fucking great.'

Steve Buscemi filmography