12 Interesting Facts about Steve Buscemi

Steve Buscemi was born on December 13, 1957, to Dorothy and John Buscemi. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and became interested in acting during his last year of high school. His first leading role was in Parting Glances. After that, Buscemi’s acting career has skyrocketed. Throughout his career, he’s worked with some of the best in the industry, including Quentin Tarantino and Judd Apatow. Here are some facts you may not have known about this talented star.

1. He was a New York City fireman from 1980 to 1984. He worked for Manhattan Engine Company #55 that covered the Little Italy section of the city. He also volunteered at Ground Zero after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
2. He was born on Friday the 13th.
3. He drove an ice cream truck for a time to make money between acting gigs.
4. His skull was fractured when he was younger because he was hit by a bus. 
5. Buscemi was stabbed while filming the movie, Domestic Disturbance. He was trying to break up a bar fight between Vince Vaughn, Scott Rosenberg, and two locals. He was stabbed in the neck, face, and arm. 
   

   

6. He has Sicilian roots, and during one visit, he learned he had been pronouncing his last name incorrectly. He would say boo-SEM-ee, but in Sicily, it is pronounced boo-SHEM-ee.
7. Buscemi often play characters who end up dead by the end of the film. His favorite death scene is his heart attack in The Big Lebowski because Buscemi thought it was very random and loved it. 
8. Eastern State Penitentiary is one of the most haunted places in America. Buscemi has been interested in the history of the Penitentiary since he scouted the location for a movie. He also narrated an audio tour for the prison to celebrate its tenth year of tours. 
9. When he was first offered the lead role in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, Buscemi thought it was a joke. He had been so used to playing secondary characters or bit parts he couldn’t believe it. He went on to win both a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his work on the show. 
   

   

10. Buscemi has worked with Adam Sandler on 14 movies over his career. 
11. In high school, Buscemi was on the varsity wrestling team in 105 lb weight class. 
12. He said his favorite and funniest review he’s ever seen about his acting called him, “The cinematic equivalent of junk mail.”

Sources:

• 16 Endearing Facts about Steve Buscemi [Mental Floss]
• Facts about Steve Buscemi [Rare.us]
• Buscemi Bio [IMDb]
• Feature Picture [Wikimedia]