Buscemi, Steve (1958- )

US actor. Buscemi made his screen debut in 1984 and first won acclaim portraying an AIDS sufferer in Parting Glances (1986). He has since worked largely in the US independent film-making industry. He came to the attention of a wide audience in Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs (1992) and worked with the Coen brothers in Barton Fink (1991), Fargo (1996), and The Big Lebowski (1998).

Buscemi made his directorial debut with Trees Lounge (1996), influenced by independent US film-maker John Cassavetes.

He has worked with many influential independent film-makers including Jim Jarmusch in Mystery Train (1989), Martin Scorsese in New York Stories (1989), Abel Ferrara in King of New York (1990), Tom DiCillo in Living in Oblivion (1995), Alexandre Rockwell in In the Soup (1992), Robert Rodriguez in Desperado (1995), Gary Fleder in Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995), and Tim Burton in Big Fish (2003). In 2001 he provided voices for Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within and Monsters, Inc..