Gary Busey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gary Busey
Busey in 2008
Born	William Gary Busey (1944-06-29) June 29, 1944 (age 81) Goose Creek, Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1967–present
Spouse(s)	Judy Helkenberg ​ ​ (m. 1968; div. 1990)​ Tiani Warden ​ ​ (m. 1996; div. 2001)​
Children	3, including Jake

William Gary Busey (born June 29, 1944) is an American actor. He is known for playing Buddy Holly in the movie The Buddy Holly Story (1978). For this role, he was nominated for an Oscar and won another award for Best Actor. Gary Busey has been in many other movies. Some of his famous films include A Star Is Born (1976), Lethal Weapon (1987), Point Break (1991), and The Firm (1993).

Gary Busey's Early Life

William Gary Busey was born in Goose Creek, Texas. When he was in fourth grade, his family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma. He went to Bell Junior High School and then graduated from Nathan Hale High School.

Gary Busey went to Coffeyville Community College and then Pittsburg State University in Kansas. He played football there and became interested in acting. After a knee injury, he moved to Oklahoma State University to study theater. He left college just before finishing his degree.

Gary Busey's Acting Career

Starting in Show Business

Busey (standing), Mark Hamill and Jack Elam from The Texas Wheelers, 1974

Gary Busey started his career as a drummer in a band called the Rubber Band. He also played drums for Leon Russell. He even had a character named "Teddy Jack Eddy" on a local TV comedy show in Tulsa.

He was part of a band called Carp, which released an album in 1969. During the 1970s, Busey took on many small roles in movies and TV shows.

Becoming a Well-Known Actor

Busey at the premiere of A Star Is Born in 1976

In 1974, Gary Busey played Truckie Wheeler in the TV comedy The Texas Wheelers. That same year, he made his first big movie appearance in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. This film starred famous actors like Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges.

In 1976, he was chosen by Barbra Streisand to act in the movie A Star is Born. Streisand thought he was perfect for the role of Bobby Ritchie.

His most famous role came in 1978 when he played rock legend Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story. His acting in this movie was highly praised. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. He also won the Best Actor award for his performance. In the same year, he also appeared in the drama Straight Time and the surfing movie Big Wednesday.

Movies in the 1980s and 1990s

In the 1980s, Gary Busey continued to appear in many films. These included the western Barbarosa (1982) and comedies like D.C. Cab (1983). He also starred in the action film Eye of the Tiger (1986). He played a main bad guy in the action comedy Lethal Weapon (1987).

During the 1990s, he had important supporting roles in popular action movies. These included Predator 2 (1990), Point Break (1991), and Under Siege (1992). He also appeared in The Firm (1993) and Black Sheep (1995).

Gary Busey also sang on Saturday Night Live in 1979.

Recent Work and TV Appearances

In 2002, Gary Busey provided the voice for the character Phil Cassidy in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. He voiced the character again in a later game in 2006. In 2003, he had his own reality show called I'm with Busey on Comedy Central. He also appeared as himself in an episode of The Simpsons in 2005.

In 2007, he played himself in the TV show Entourage. He also joined the reality show Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew in 2008. In 2011, Busey was on Celebrity Apprentice 4. He even sang "Not Fade Away" on the show, bringing back his Buddy Holly role.

In 2014, he became a spokesperson for Amazon Fire TV. That same year, he won Celebrity Big Brother 14 in the UK. In 2015, he competed on Dancing with the Stars. He finished in 10th place with his dance partner.

In 2019, Gary Busey acted in an Off-Broadway musical called Only Human. In 2020, he starred in a web series called Gary Busey Pet Judge. In this show, he acted as a judge to help solve problems between pets and their owners.

Gary Busey's Personal Life

Busey in 2007

Gary Busey has three children: Jake, Alectra, and Luke.

On December 4, 1988, Gary Busey was seriously hurt in a motorcycle accident. He was not wearing a helmet. He suffered a fractured skull and had a brain injury.

In 1996, Gary Busey shared that he is a Christian. He said that his motorcycle accident and other life events made his faith stronger.

In 1997, doctors found a cancerous tumor in his sinus. Gary Busey had surgery to remove it, and it was successful.

In 2008, during the filming of Celebrity Rehab, a doctor suggested that Gary Busey's brain injury might have affected him more than people realized. The doctor explained that it might make him speak and act without thinking first.

Filmography

Selected Movies

Awards and Nominations

Gary Busey has received several awards and nominations for his acting.

• In 1978, he won the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor for The Buddy Holly Story.
• He was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in 1979 for The Buddy Holly Story.
• He also won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor in 1979 for the same movie.

See also

In Spanish: Gary Busey para niños