Steven Vincent "
Steve"
Buscemi (
Italian: [buˈʃɛmi] boo-SHEM-ee;
/bʉˈsɛmi/ in the actor's personal preference and habit;
[2] born December 13, 1957) is an American actor, director and writer. Buscemi has starred and supported in successful Hollywood and
indie films, including
Parting Glances,
New York Stories,
Mystery Train,
Reservoir Dogs,
Desperado,
Con Air,
Armageddon,
The Grey Zone,
Ghost World and
Big Fish; and the
HBO television series
The Sopranos. He is also known for his appearances in many films by
the Coen brothers:
Miller's Crossing,
Barton Fink,
The Hudsucker Proxy,
Fargo and
The Big Lebowski.
Since 2010, he has starred in the critically acclaimed series
Boardwalk Empire, which earned him two
Screen Actors Guild Awards, a
Golden Globe, and two nominations for an
Emmy Award. He made his directorial debut in 1996, with
Trees Lounge, in which he also starred. Other works include
Animal Factory (2000),
Lonesome Jim (2005) and
Interview (2007). He has also directed numerous episodes of television shows, including
Homicide: Life on the Street,
The Sopranos,
Oz,
30 Rock and
Nurse Jackie.
Early life
Buscemi was born on December 13, 1957 in
Brooklyn,
New York, the son of Dorothy (née Wilson), who worked as a hostess at
Howard Johnson's, and John Buscemi, a sanitation worker and
Korean War veteran. Buscemi's father was of
Italian descent; his ancestors were from the town of
Menfi in Sicily. Buscemi's mother was of Irish, English, and Dutch ancestry.
[3][4][5] He has three brothers: Jon, Ken, and Michael. Buscemi was raised Roman Catholic.
[4]
He graduated in 1975 from
Valley Stream Central High School in
Nassau County, New York, a school which he attended with actress
Patricia Charbonneau. In high school, Buscemi
wrestled for the
varsity squad and participated in the drama troupe, at the time directed by Mr. Lynne C. Lappin. Buscemi's 1996 film
Trees Lounge, in which he not only starred but served as screenwriter and director, is set in and was largely shot in his childhood village of Valley Stream.
[6] He worked in Alexander's department store in Valley Stream as well.
