Steve Buscemi

Steven Vincent Buscemi (, ; born December 13, 1957) is an American actor.

Buscemi is known for his work as an acclaimed character actor.

Steven Vincent Buscemi was born on December 13, 1957, in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City, to Dorothy (née Wilson) and John Buscemi.

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.

He has three brothers: Jon, Ken and Michael.

Buscemi graduated in 1975 from Valley Stream Central High School along with future writer Edward J. Renehan Jr. and future actress Patricia Charbonneau.

In high school, Buscemi wrestled for the varsity squad and participated in the drama troupe.

Buscemi made his acting debut in the 1985 film The Way It Is, directed by Eric Mitchell, which was part of the no wave cinema movement.

His early credits consist of major roles in independent film productions such as the AIDS drama Parting Glances (1986), Mystery Train (1989), In the Soup (1992), and his breakout role as Mr. Pink in Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs (1992).

Other early performances include Parting Glances (1986) as well as an appearance in an episode of the television series Miami Vice in 1986.

His other television roles include Lonesome Dove (1989), The Sopranos (2004, 2006), 30 Rock (2007–2013), Horace and Pete (2016), and Miracle Workers (2019–2023).

In 1989, he appeared in four films, including James Ivory's comedy Slaves of New York, Howard Brookner's ensemble period film Bloodhounds of Broadway and the New York Stories segment directed by Martin Scorsese entitled, "Life Lessons" starring alongside Nick Nolte and Rosanna Arquette.

The film screened out of competition at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival to mixed reviews with the Scorsese segment being hailed as the standout by Roger Ebert.

Buscemi also appeared in Jim Jarmusch's independent film Mystery Train (1989) as Charlie the Barber, and was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male.

Buscemi has often starred in Coen brothers films such as Miller's Crossing (1990), Fargo (1996), and The Big Lebowski (1998).

In 1990, he played Mink Larouie in the Coen Brothers' neo-noir gangster film Millers Crossing starring opposite Gabriel Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, and John Turturro.

This was the first of five of the Coen Brothers' films in which Buscemi performed.

Critic Roger Ebert described the film as one that "is likely to be most appreciated by movie lovers who will enjoy its resonance with films of the past."

Also that year, he starred as Test Tube, a henchman of Laurence Fishburne's character Jimmy Jump in Abel Ferrara's crime film King of New York, as well as Edward in the anthology film Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, the protagonist of the "Lot 249" segment of the film.

In 1991, he played a bellboy, Chet, in the Coen Brothers film black comedy Barton Fink starring John Turturro and John Goodman.

His first lead role was as Adolpho Rollo in Alexandre Rockwell's In the Soup (1992).

He gained wider attention for his supporting part as pseudonymous criminal Mr. Pink in Quentin Tarantino's crime film Reservoir Dogs (1992), a role that Tarantino originally wrote for himself, and one that earned Buscemi the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male in his second nomination.

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.

The following year, he starred as the eponymous character in the horror comedy film Ed and His Dead Mother (1993).

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.

Buscemi has appeared in independent and mainstream films including Pulp Fiction (1994), Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995), Escape from L.A. (1996), Con Air (1997), 28 Days (2000), Domestic Disturbance (2001), The Island (2005), Youth in Revolt (2009), The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013), and The Dead Don't Die (2019).

He has also appeared in supporting or cameo roles in many films with Adam Sandler including Airheads (1994), Billy Madison (1995), The Wedding Singer (1998), Mr. Deeds (2002), and Hubie Halloween (2020).

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.

The next year, Buscemi again collaborated with the Coen Brothers, starring as kidnapper Carl Showalter in the black comedy crime film Fargo starring Frances McDormand and William H. Macy.

He has directed films such as Trees Lounge (1996), Animal Factory (2000), and Interview (2007).

(Buscemi's 1996 film Trees Lounge, in which he starred and served as screenwriter and director, is set in and was largely shot in his childhood village of Valley Stream. ) Buscemi briefly attended Nassau Community College before moving to Manhattan to enroll in the Lee Strasberg Institute.

The film was a critical and commercial success debuting at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival where it competed for the Palme d'Or.

Buscemi has also had an extensive career in television, notably starring in the lead role of Enoch "Nucky" Thompson in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014).

His performance earned him two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Golden Globe and two nominations for an Primetime Emmy Award.

Michael is also an actor, whose most notable role to date was as Officer Jimmy in BlacKkKlansman (2018).

Buscemi was raised Catholic.

When Buscemi was 10 years old, the family moved from East New York to Valley Stream in Nassau County.