An American actor, writer and director. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Dorothy, who worked as a hostess at Howard Johnson's, and John Buscemi, a sanitation worker and Korean War veteran. Buscemi's father was Sicilian American and his mother Irish American. He has three brothers: Jon, Ken, and Michael. Buscemi was raised Roman Catholic.
Buscemi has starred and supported in successful Hollywood and indie films, including Parting Glances (1986), New York Stories (1989), Mystery Train (1989), Reservoir Dogs (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994), Desperado (1995), Con Air (1997), Armageddon (1998), The Grey Zone (2001), Ghost World (2001), Big Fish (2003), Lean on Pete (2017), and The Death of Stalin (2017). He is also known for his appearances in many films by Coen brothers: Miller's Crossing (1990), Barton Fink (1991), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), Fargo (1996), and The Big Lebowski (1998). Buscemi provides the voice of Randall Boggs in the Monsters, Inc. franchise.
From 2010 to 2014, he portrayed Enoch "Nucky" Thompson 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).
Buscemi has one son, Lucian, with his wife Jo Andres.
National Society of Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor
Known For
Con Air
(1997)
Garland Greene - "The Marietta Mangler"
Pulp Fiction
(1994)
Buddy Holly
Monsters, Inc.
(2001)
Randall (voice)
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania
(2022)
Wayne (voice)
Grown Ups
(2010)
Wiley
Fargo
(1996)
Carl Showalter
Grown Ups 2
(2013)
Wiley
Monsters University
(2013)
Randall Boggs (voice)
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
(2018)
Wayne (voice)
Hotel Transylvania
(2012)
Wayne (voice)
Reservoir Dogs
(1992)
Mr. Pink
Transformers: The Last Knight
(2017)
Daytrader (voice)
Armageddon
(1998)
Rockhound
Hotel Transylvania 2
(2015)
Wayne (voice)
The Island
(2005)
James 'Mac' McCord
Zandalee
(1991)
OPP Man
Full Filmography
Acting
Tommy's
(1985)
Parting Glances
(1986)
Nick
Sleepwalk
(1986)
Worker
No Picnic
(1986)
Dead Pimp
Film House Fever
(1986)
Tony
The Way It Is
(1986)
Willy / Raphael
Days Are Numbered
(1986)
Heart
(1987)
Nicky
Kiss Daddy Goodnight
(1987)
Johnny
Arena Brains
(1987)
Wired Kid #1
Call Me
(1988)
Switchblade
Heart of Midnight
(1988)
Eddy
Vibes
(1988)
Fred
Mystery Train
(1989)
Charlie
Slaves of New York
(1989)
Wilfredo
Bloodhounds of Broadway
(1989)
Whining Willie
Coffee and Cigarettes II
(1989)
Waiter
New York Stories
(1989)
Gregory Stark
Borders
(1989)
Ted
Miller's Crossing
(1990)
Mink
Tales from the Darkside: The Movie
(1990)
Bellingham (segment ‘Lot 249’)
King of New York
(1990)
Test Tube
The Grifters
(1990)
Kaggs (uncredited)
Barton Fink
(1991)
Chet
Billy Bathgate
(1991)
Irving
Zandalee
(1991)
OPP Man
Reservoir Dogs
(1991)
Mr. Pink
Reservoir Dogs
(1992)
Mr. Pink
In the Soup
(1992)
Aldolpho Rollo
Claude
(1992)
Danny
CrissCross
(1992)
Louis
What Happened to Pete
(1992)
Pete
The Last Outlaw
(1993)
Philo
Rising Sun
(1993)
Willy Wilhelm
Ed and His Dead Mother
(1993)
Ed Chilton
Twenty Bucks
(1993)
Frank
Pulp Fiction
(1994)
Buddy Holly
Airheads
(1994)
Rex
Somebody to Love
(1994)
Mickey
Floundering
(1994)
Ned
The Hudsucker Proxy
(1994)
Beatnik Barman
Who Do I Gotta Kill?
(1994)
(uncredited)
Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead
(1995)
Mister Shhh
Desperado
(1995)
Buscemi
Living in Oblivion
(1995)
Nick Reve
Billy Madison
(1995)
Danny McGrath (uncredited)
Dead Man
(1995)
Bartender
Fargo
(1996)
Carl Showalter
Escape from L.A.
(1996)
Eddie
Kansas City
(1996)
Johnny Flynn
Trees Lounge
(1996)
Tommy
The Search for One-eye Jimmy
(1996)
Ed Hoyt
Black Kites
(1996)
Con Air
(1997)
Garland Greene - "The Marietta Mangler"
Armageddon
(1998)
Rockhound
The Big Lebowski
(1998)
Donny
The Impostors
(1998)
Happy Franks
The Real Blonde
(1998)
Nick
Divine Trash
(1998)
Himself
The Wedding Singer
(1998)
David 'Dave' Veltri (uncredited)
Louis & Frank
(1998)
Big Daddy
(1999)
Homeless Guy
In Bad Taste
(1999)
Self
28 Days
(2000)
Cornell
Animal Factory
(2000)
A.R. Hosspack
Monsters, Inc.
(2001)
Randall (voice)
Ghost World
(2001)
Seymour
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
(2001)
Off. Neil Fleming (voice)
Domestic Disturbance
(2001)
Ray Coleman
Double Whammy
(2001)
Jerry Cubbins
The Grey Zone
(2001)
'Hesch' Abramowics
Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words & Music
(2001)
Playboy Mansion Parties Uncensored
(2001)
Self
The Concert for New York City
(2001)
Self
Mr. Deeds
(2002)
Crazy Eyes
Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams
(2002)
Romero
13 Moons
(2002)
Bananas
Love in the Time of Money
(2002)
Martin Kunkle
The Laramie Project
(2002)
Doc O'Connor
9/11
(2002)
Self in TV Broadcst
Paul McCartney: Back in the U.S.
(2002)
Self
Big Fish
(2003)
Norther Winslow
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over
(2003)
Romero
Minnesota Nice
(2003)
Self
Rockets Redglare!
(2003)
Self
Coffee and Cigarettes
(2004)
Danny (segment "Twins")
Home on the Range
(2004)
Wesley (voice)
The Island
(2005)
James 'Mac' McCord
Champion
(2005)
Self
Romance & Cigarettes
(2005)
Angelo
Nobody Wants Your Film
(2005)
Self
Who's the Top?
(2005)
Cymon
Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take 2 ½
(2005)
Himself
Excavating Taylor Mead
(2005)
Narrator
Paris Je T'aime
(2006)
Touriste (Tuileries)
Monster House
(2006)
Nebbercracker (voice)
Charlotte's Web
(2006)
Templeton the Rat (voice)
Delirious
(2006)
Les Galantine
Art School Confidential
(2006)
Broadway Bob D'Annunzio
...So Goes the Nation
(2006)
Self
Edge of Outside
(2006)
Self
Dust to Dust: The Health Effects of 9/11
(2006)
narrator
Tarantino's Mind
(2006)
Mr. Pink (archive footage)
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
(2007)
Clinton Fitzer
Interview
(2007)
Pierre Peders
I Think I Love My Wife
(2007)
George
Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten
(2007)
Self
Voom Portraits
(2007)
Self
Igor
(2008)
Scamper (voice)
I'm Dirty!
(2008)
Backhoe Loader
John Rabe
(2009)
Dr. Robert Wilson
Youth in Revolt
(2009)
George Twisp
Rage
(2009)
Frank
The Messenger
(2009)
Dale Martin
I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale
(2009)
Self
G-Force
(2009)
Bucky the Hamster (voice)
Handsome Harry
(2009)
Thomas Kelley
Saint John of Las Vegas
(2010)
John
The Chosen One
(2010)
Neal
Grown Ups
(2010)
Wiley
Pete Smalls Is Dead
(2010)
Bernie Lake
Fight for Your Right Revisited
(2011)
Waiter
Rampart
(2011)
Bill Blago
Blank City
(2011)
Self
Hotel Transylvania
(2012)
Wayne (voice)
On the Road
(2012)
Tall thin salesman
Monsters University
(2013)
Randall Boggs (voice)
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
(2013)
Anton Marvelton
Grown Ups 2
(2013)
Wiley
Khumba
(2013)
Skalk (voice)
James Gandolfini: Tribute to a Friend
(2013)
Himself
AMEX Unstaged Presents: Vampire Weekend
(2013)
Himself
A Good Job: Stories of the FDNY
(2014)
Self
The Cobbler
(2014)
Jimmy
Time Out of Mind
(2014)
Building Manager
My Depression (The Up and Down and Up of It)
(2014)
Suicidal Thoughts (voice)
The Final Shot: A Farewell to Boardwalk Empire
(2014)
Self
The Celery Incident
(2014)
Marty
Hotel Transylvania 2
(2015)
Wayne (voice)
The Ridiculous 6
(2015)
Doc Griffin
Mildred and the Dying Parlor
(2016)
Rick
Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer
(2016)
Rabbi Blumenthal
Tony Bennett Celebrates 90
(2016)
Self
The Boss Baby
(2017)
Francis E. Francis (voice)
The Death of Stalin
(2017)
Nikita Khrushchev
Transformers: The Last Knight
(2017)
Daytrader (voice)
Night of Too Many Stars: America Unites for Autism Programs
(2017)
Self
Lean on Pete
(2018)
Del
The Week Of
(2018)
Charles
Nancy
(2018)
Leo
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
(2018)
Wayne (voice)
The Dead Don't Die
(2019)
Farmer Frank Miller
QT8: The First Eight
(2019)
Self (archive footage)
The King of Staten Island
(2020)
Papa
Hubie Halloween
(2020)
Walter Lambert
Beastie Boys Story
(2020)
Self
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania
(2022)
Wayne (voice)
Bonnie
(2022)
Self
The Year Between
(2023)
Don
Vacation Friends 2
(2023)
Reese Hackford
Carole & Grey
(2024)
Shapeshifter
Transformers One
(2024)
Starscream (voice)
Directing
What Happened to Pete
(1992)
Director
Trees Lounge
(1996)
Director
Animal Factory
(2000)
Director
Lonesome Jim
(2005)
Director
Interview
(2007)
Director
AMEX Unstaged Presents: Vampire Weekend
(2013)
Director
The Listener
(2024)
Director
Production
What Happened to Pete
(1992)
Producer
Animal Factory
(2000)
Producer
Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take 2 ½
(2005)
Executive Producer
Saint John of Las Vegas
(2010)
Executive Producer
Paint It Black
(2016)
Executive Producer
Puzzle
(2018)
Executive Producer
Dreaming of a Vetter World
(2018)
Executive Producer
The Listener
(2024)
Producer
Writing
Crew