Steve Buscemi
A character actor with the face of a worried poet, he turned quirky, nervous energy into an indelible mark on independent and mainstream cinema.
Born 1957 (age 69)·American actor and director·Birthday: December 13·Baby Boomers
Biography
Steve Buscemi didn't look like a leading man, and that became his superpower. With his wiry frame and expressive, darting eyes, he built a career out of playing the guys on the fringe—the panicked henchman, the jittery bartender, the lovable loser. He emerged from the downtown New York scene, a former firefighter who brought a grounded, everyman desperation to early roles in films like 'Parting Glances' and 'Mystery Train.' His collaboration with the Coen Brothers in 'Fargo' as the hapless Carl Showalter cemented his status, a performance of hilarious and pathetic volatility. Buscemi never settled, moving seamlessly between indie darlings and HBO prestige, most notably as the corrupt but compelling Nucky Thompson on 'Boardwalk Empire,' which he also directed. Off-screen, his quiet return to his old firehouse to help with rescue efforts after 9/11 speaks to a depth far beyond his on-screen personas.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Steve was born in 1957, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Steve Was Born
The biggest hits of 1957
#1 Movie
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Best Picture
The Bridge on the River Kwai
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Steve's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1957Born
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1962Started school
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1970Became a teenager
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Could drive
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1975Could vote
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Turned 21
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1987Turned 30
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 40
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 50
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 60
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 69 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award for his lead role as Nucky Thompson on HBO's 'Boardwalk Empire.'
- Delivered an iconic performance as Mr. Pink in Quentin Tarantino's groundbreaking heist film 'Reservoir Dogs.'
- Earned widespread acclaim for his role as the kidnapper Carl Showalter in the Coen Brothers' film 'Fargo.'
- Directed several episodes of 'The Sopranos,' including the classic 'Pine Barrens' episode.
Did You Know?
He was a firefighter for the FDNY in Engine 55 in Manhattan before his acting career took off.
He returned to his old firehouse to volunteer for several days following the September 11 attacks.
He provided the voice for Randall Boggs in Pixar's 'Monsters, Inc.' franchise.
“I don't think of myself as a character actor. I just think of myself as an actor who's played different characters.”
