Steve Buscemi

A native son of Brooklyn who once served in the FDNY, the incredibly prolific Steve Buscemi has brought his dry sarcasm and gallows humor to everything from feel-good family movies (Monsters, Inc.) to action blockbusters (Con Air) without sacrificing his core indie sensibilities. Buscemi's paranoid tics and verbal acrobatics first found a perfect match in hyperactive director Quentin Tarantino, who gave the then-unknown actor a breakout role in 1992's Reservoir Dogs as the inherently quotable thief-for-hire Mr. Pink. Buscemi has also worked with the Coen Brothers, who have utilized his unlikely charm and rapid-fire delivery in many of their films, including Fargo and The Big Lebowski. His biggest critical success came in the coming-of-age comic-book-based drama Ghost World, where his understated portrayal of a man happy with neither himself nor the world is quietly devastating. After playing a harried filmmaker in the dark comedy Living in Oblivion, Buscemi went on to direct several acclaimed episodes of The Sopranos (and appeared as a recurring character on the show), and he has helmed other well-regarded productions, including Trees Lounge, his haunting examination of a self-destructive alcoholic. In 2010, Buscemi took on the role of hardened mobster Enoch "Nucky" Thompson in HBO's Boardwalk Empire, blending reluctant self-awareness and brutal strategy, and resulting in another high point of his vibrant and varied career.