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