Gary Busey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gary Busey
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Busey in 2008
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William Gary Busey
June 29, 1944 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1967–present |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 3, including Jake |
William Gary Busey (born June 29, 1944) is an American actor. He is known for playing many different characters in movies and TV shows.
One of his most famous roles was playing the rock and roll star Buddy Holly in the 1978 movie The Buddy Holly Story. For this role, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. He also won an award from the National Society of Film Critics.
Gary Busey has been in many other popular films. These include A Star Is Born (1976), Lethal Weapon (1987), Point Break (1991), and Under Siege (1992). He has been acting since 1967 and continues to work today.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Gary Busey was born in Goose Creek, Texas. His mother, Sadie Virginia, was a homemaker. His father, Delmer Lloyd Busey, worked in construction design.
When Gary 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.
After high school, Busey went to Coffeyville Community College. He then attended Pittsburg State University in Kansas on a football scholarship. This is where he first 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.
Acting Career
Starting Out in Show Business
Gary Busey started his career as a drummer. He played in a band called The Rubber Band. He also played drums for famous musician Leon Russell. Sometimes, he used the name "Teddy Jack Eddy," a character he made up for a TV comedy show in Tulsa.
He was also in a band called Carp, which released an album in 1969. During the 1970s, Busey began to get small roles in movies and on television.
Becoming Famous
In 1974, Gary Busey played Truckie Wheeler in the TV comedy show The Texas Wheelers. That same year, he made his first big movie appearance. He had a supporting role in the action film Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, which starred Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges.
In 1976, he was chosen by Barbra Streisand to be in the movie A Star is Born. Streisand said she thought he was great for the role.
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His biggest role came in 1978 when he played rock legend Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story. His performance was highly praised. He was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Best Actor award from the National Society of Film Critics. In the same year, he also appeared in the drama Straight Time and the surfing movie Big Wednesday.
Major Roles in the 1980s and 1990s
In the 1980s, Gary Busey continued to appear in many films. These included the western Barbarosa (1982), the comedies D.C. Cab (1983) and Insignificance (1985), and the horror film Silver Bullet (1985). He also played a villain in the action movie Lethal Weapon (1987), starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover.
The 1990s brought more important roles in action movies. He was in Predator 2 (1990), Point Break (1991), Under Siege (1992), and Drop Zone (1994). He also appeared in other films like The Firm (1993) and Lost Highway (1997).
Gary Busey also sang on TV shows like Saturday Night Live in 1979 and Late Show with David Letterman in the 1990s.
Recent Work
In 2002, Busey lent his voice to the character Phil Cassidy in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. He played the role again in the game's prequel in 2006. In 2003, he had his own reality show called I'm with Busey. He also appeared as himself in an episode of The Simpsons in 2005.
He starred in the horror film The Gingerdead Man (2005). In 2007, he played a funny version of himself in the HBO series Entourage. He also appeared on reality shows like Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew (2008) and Comedy Central Roast (2009).
In 2010, Gary Busey was in a series of online ads for Vitamin Water. He returned to reality TV on Celebrity Apprentice 4 in 2011 and again in Celebrity Apprentice 6. On Celebrity Apprentice, he even performed as Buddy Holly again.
In 2014, he became a spokesperson for Amazon Fire TV. That same year, he won the British reality show Celebrity Big Brother 14, becoming the first American to win. In 2015, he competed on Dancing with the Stars, finishing in 10th place.
In 2019, Busey played God in an Off-Broadway musical called Only Human. In 2020, he starred in the web series Gary Busey Pet Judge, where he acted as a judge for pet-related problems.
Personal Life
Gary Busey has three children: Jake, Alectra, and Luke. His son Jake Busey is also an actor.
On December 4, 1988, Gary Busey was seriously hurt in a motorcycle accident. He was not wearing a helmet. He fractured his skull and suffered a brain injury.
In 1996, Busey shared that he is a Christian. He said he was proud to tell Hollywood about his faith.
In 2011, Busey supported Newt Gingrich for president. In 2015, he supported Donald Trump for president. After Trump won, Busey said he was "very happy" but did not want to talk more about politics.
Movies and TV Shows
Selected Filmography
- Wild in the Streets (1968)
- Angels Hard as They Come (1971)
- The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972)
- Dirty Little Billy (1972)
- The Last American Hero (1973)
- Hex (1973)
- Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
- The Gumball Rally (1976)
- A Star Is Born (1976)
- Straight Time (1978)
- The Buddy Holly Story (1978)
- Big Wednesday (1978)
- Carny (1980)
- Foolin' Around (1980)
- Barbarosa (1982)
- D.C. Cab (1983)
- Insignificance (1985)
- Silver Bullet (1985)
- Eye of the Tiger (1986)
- Lethal Weapon (1987)
- Predator 2 (1990)
- Point Break (1991)
- Under Siege (1992)
- The Firm (1993)
- Rookie of the Year (1993)
- Surviving the Game (1994)
- Drop Zone (1994)
- Black Sheep (1996)
- Lost Highway (1997)
- Soldier (1998)
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
- Hot Boyz (1999)
- Quigley (2003)
- Piranha 3DD (2012)
- Entourage (2015)
Awards and Nominations
Gary Busey has received several awards and nominations for his acting.
| Year | Award Group | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association | Best Actor | The Buddy Holly Story | 3rd place |
| New Generation Award | Won | |||
| New York Film Critics Circle | Best Actor | 2nd place | ||
| 1979 | Academy Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Motion Picture Actor – Musical/Comedy | Nominated | ||
| National Society of Film Critics | Best Actor | Won | ||
| 1980 | British Academy of Film and Television Arts | Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles | Nominated | |
| 1987 | CableACE Awards | Actor in a Dramatic Series | The Hitchhiker | Won |
| 1994 | Fallen Angels | Nominated |
Images for kids
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Gary Busey in 2008
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Gary Busey (standing), Mark Hamill and Jack Elam from The Texas Wheelers, 1974
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Busey at the premiere of A Star Is Born in 1976
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Busey in 2007
See also
In Spanish: Gary Busey para niños
