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Gary Busey Biography

(1944–)

Related Works

1986 Half of a Lifetime (TV)
1994 Chasers
2000 G-Men from Hell

1992 South Beach
1996 One Clean Move
1989 Hider in the House (TV)
1972 You and Me
1994 Surviving the Game
1998 Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms (TV)
1982 Barbarosa
1980 Foolin' Around
1988 Bulletproof
1998 Soldier
1992 Chrome Soldiers (TV)
1997 Livers Ain't Cheap
1994 Drop Zone
1978 The Set-Up
1991 My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
1992 Night Caller
1996 Man with a Gun
1997 Rough Riders (TV)
1996 Black Sheep
2000 Down 'n Dirty
1989 The Neon Empire (TV)
1974 The Law (TV)
1983 Didn't You Hear
1974 Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
1980 Foolin' Around
1990 Predator 2
1973 The Last American Hero
1994 Warriors
1983 D.C. Cab
1997 Lost HIghway
1992 Canvas
1998 No Tomorrow
1996 Carried Away
1998 Detour
1974 The Execution of Private Slovik (TV)
1991 Point Break
1971 Angels Hard as They Come
1998 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
1976 A Star Is Born
1978 Big Wednesday
1973 Blood Sport (TV)
1978 The Buddy Holly Story
1992 Under Seige
1991 Wild Texas Wind (TV)
1996 Steel Sharks
1993 Breaking Point
2000 Two Shades of Blue
1980 Carny
2000 Tribulation
1985 Silver Bullet
1999 Hot Boyz
1973 Hex
1997 Plato's Run
1999 Jacob Two Two Meets the Hooded Fang
1997 The Rage
1996 Sticks and Stones
1997 Rough Draft

» More

Related People

Actor. Born William Gary Busey, on June 29, 1944, in Goose Creek, Texas. Raised in Oklahoma, Busey attended Kansas State University on a football scholarship before a knee injury caused him to abandon his pursuit of a professional sports career. While turning his attention toward theater studies, he played percussion with Leon Russell, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson.

In 1971, Busey made his cinematic debut with a lead role in the biker film Angels Hard as They Come, which was written by Jonathan Demme. During the late 1970s, his credits included supporting roles opposite Barbra Streisand and former band mate Kris Kristofferson in A Star is Born (1976), as well as Dustin Hoffman in Straight Time (1978). Later that year, Busey landed the title role in The Buddy Holly Story, in which he showcased his musical roots by performing his own guitar and vocal work. Busey earned an Academy Award nomination for his definitive portrayal of the rock icon.

Later in his career, Busey took on more sinister roles in the action thrillers Lethal Weapon(1987), Predator 2 (1990), and Point Break (1991) with Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. As part of an A-list ensemble that included Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman, Holly Hunter, and Ed Harris, he earned kudos for his role in the film adaptation of John Grisham's bestseller The Firm (1993). During the late 1990s, Busey’s roles ranged from a psychotic militia leader in The Rage (1997) to a cameo appearance in Terry Gilliam's black comedy Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998).

In 1988, Busey was the victim of a near-fatal motorcycle accident, which resulted in the enactment of stricter helmet laws in the state of California. A notorious drug user, he was hospitalized after a cocaine overdose in 1995, at which time he underwent rehabilitation in lieu of facing criminal charges. Three years later, he dedicated his life to the Christian faith by joining the Promise Keepers.

Busey married photographer Judy Helkenberg in 1968; they had a son, Jake Busey, before divorcing in the mid-1970s. In 2000, after he was arrested and charged with spousal abuse, Busey separated from his second wife Tiani Warden.