Biography
Diehard New Yorker Steve Buscemi was an independent film icon, both as a perennial favorite of respected filmmakers like the Coen Brothers, and as a writer and director in his own right. Throughout the decades of prolific work that followed his rise from the East Village arts boon of the 1980s, Buscemi stayed close to his roots in avant-garde film, but he also made a dent at the multiplex in character roles in big budget comedies and action …
Steve Buscemi SlideShow
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Career Milestones
2012 | Voiced a werewolf in animated feature "Hotel Transylvania"; also starred Sandler | |
2012 | Cast in the crime drama "Rampart" opposite Woody Harrelson | |
2011 | Nominated for the 2011 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in Drama Series | |
2011 | Nominated for the 2011 TV Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Drama | |
2010 | Cast in HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" as Enoch 'Nucky' Thompson, who is based on New Jersey political boss and racketeer Enoch L. Johnson | |
2010 | Appeared in the ensemble comedy "Grown Ups," about five friends who reunite for a Fourth of July holiday weekend; starred Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, and Kevin James | |
2010 | Played Michael Cera's greedy and temperamental father in the film adaptation of C.D. Payne's "Youth in Revolt" | |
2007 | Appeared in a guest role as a private eye on NBC's "30 Rock" | |
2007 | Helmed a remake of murdered Dutch filmmaker, Theo van Gogh's film "Interview"; co-starred as a journalist interviewing a celebrity (Sienna Miller); also utilized much of Van Gogh's crew, including his director of photography | |
2006 | Voiced Templeton the rat in live-action/computer-animated feature film "Charlotte's Web," based on the book by E.B. White | |
2006 | Directed Casey Affleck and Liv Tyler in "Lonesome Jim" | |
2005 | Cast in John Turturro's big-screen musical "Romance & Cigarettes" (released theatrically in 2007) | |
2004 | Cast as Tony Soprano's (James Gandolfini) cousin Tony Blundetto on the fifth season of "The Sopranos" (HBO) | |
2003 | Portrayed Norther Winslow in Tim Burton's fantasy drama "Big Fish" | |
2003 | Appeared in a segment of the independent feature "Coffee and Cigarettes" directed by Jim Jarmusch | |
2002 | Helmed second episode of the HBO series "The Sopranos," titled "Everybody Hurts" | |
2002 | Reunited with Robert Rodriguez to film "Spy Kids 2: The Island Of Lost Dreams" | |
2001 | Cast in a supporting role as Seymour in the critically hailed "Ghost World" | |
2000 | Directed the "Pine Barrens" episode of the popular HBO series "The Sopranos" | |
2000 | Made feature debut as a producer, "Animal Factory" (also directed and acted); Trejo acted and served as an executive producer | |
1999 | Played a homeless man in Sandler comedy vehicle "Big Daddy" | |
1999 | Directed an episode of the HBO prison-drama "Oz" entitled "U.S. Male"; also directed "Cuts Like a Knife" in 2001 | |
1998 | Joined the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced ensemble "Armageddon" | |
1998 | Helmed an episode of the NBC police drama "Homicide: Life on the Street" | |
1998 | Fifth collaboration with Ethan and Joel Coen, "The Big Lebowski" | |
1998 | Co-starred in Stanley Tucci's period comedy "The Impostors" portraying a suicidal crooner; sang "The Nearness of You" in the film | |
1997 | Directed TV commercials for Nike | |
1997 | Re-teamed with DiCillo again playing Nick in "The Real Blonde" | |
1997 | Re-teamed with Trejo in "Con Air"; first association with producer Jerry Bruckheimer | |
| Joined Tarantino's A Band Apart's roster of commercial directors | ||
1996 | Fourth film with the Coens, "Fargo"; cast as bumbling kidnapper-for-hire | |
1996 | Made feature debut as writer-director with "Trees Lounge"; also starred | |
1995 | Produced and acted in the 26-minute experimental short "Black Kites" helmed by wife Jo Andres | |
1995 | Appeared in his first film with actor Danny Trejo, Robert Rodriguez's "Desperado" | |
1995 | Reprised role of Nick Reve in DiCillo's feature-length "Living in Oblivion" | |
1995 | Co-starred with Christopher Walken in Gary Fleder's "Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead" | |
1994 | First feature collaboration with Adam Sandler, "Airheads" | |
1994 | Played John Travolta and Uma Thurman's surly Buddy Holly waiter at Jackrabbit Slim's in Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" | |
1994 | Portrayed Nick Reve, a struggling indie filmmaker, in Tom DiCillo's 17-minute short "Scene Six, Take One" | |
1994 | Staged a reading of his screenplay "Trees Lounge" in New York City | |
1993 | Made his film-making debut (produced, directed and wrote) with the 14-minute short "What Happened to Pete?" | |
1992 | Landed first starring role in Alexandre Rockwell's "In the Soup" | |
1992 | Cast in breakthrough supporting role as Mr. Pink in Quentin Tarantino's debut feature "Reservoir Dogs" | |
1991 | Portrayed Chet the bellhop at the Hotel Earle in the Coens' "Barton Fink" | |
1990 | Played the henchman of Laurence Fishburne named Test Tube in Abel Ferrara's "King of New York" | |
1990 | Made his first collaboration with the Coen brothers in "Miller's Crossing" | |
1989 | Made TV miniseries debut in the hit CBS Western "Lonesome Dove" | |
1988 | Received first mainstream feature credit in "Vibes" | |
| Appeared in TV guest shots on "Miami Vice" (NBC) and "The Equalizer" (CBS) | ||
1986 | Landed first featured role as Nick, an AIDS-stricken man, in the independent feature "Parting Glances" | |
1985 | Left the Fire Department to pursue acting full-time | |
1984 | Made screen debut in "The Way It Is, or Eurydice in the Avenues" | |
1981 | Introduced by a fellow fireman-actor Dean Tulipane to a theater group at Westbeth, an artists' housing complex | |
| Performed as a stand-up comic with actor Rockets Redglare at the now defunct Taxi Cabaret; met future wife Jo Anders | ||
1980 | Served as a firefighter for four years with the FDNY | |
1978 | Moved to the East Village, becoming involved with the downtown performance scene | |
| Also on the advice of his father, took the Civil Service exam for the New York City Fire Department | ||
| On the advice of his father, took acting lessons at the Lee Strasberg Institute | ||
| Began performing while in high school | ||
| Raised in Long Island, NY from age eight | ||
Awards
2012 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama in Boardwalk Empire |
2012 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in Boardwalk Empire |
2012 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series in Boardwalk Empire |
2012 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in Boardwalk Empire |
2011 | Critics' Choice TV Award for BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES in Boardwalk Empire |
2011 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama in Boardwalk Empire |
2011 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in Boardwalk Empire |
2011 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series in Boardwalk Empire |
2011 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in Boardwalk Empire |
2010 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama in Boardwalk Empire |
2008 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor In a Comedy Series in 30 Rock |
2005 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in The Sopranos |
2004 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in The Sopranos |
2002 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male in Ghost World |
2001 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in Ghost World |
2001 | New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor in Ghost World |
2001 | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor in Ghost World |
2001 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series in The Sopranos |
1998 | Directors Guild of America Award for Dramatic Series Night in Homicide: Life on the Street |
1997 | MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo in Fargo |
1997 | Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature in Trees Lounge |
1997 | Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay in Trees Lounge |
1993 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male in Reservoir Dogs |
1990 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male in Mystery Train |