I’M LOOKING RIGHT into Steve Buscemi’s eyes, which on this early October morning happen to sit behind a pair of black-framed glasses, stylishly matching the collared shirt and jacket he’s wearing. Looking into Buscemi’s eyes is kinda like looking at the sun—even when he isn’t quite as animated as some of the characters he plays, his demeanor comes across warm and thoughtful. The 68-year-old is a New York native, and it’s easy to picture an alternate world where he’s the neighbor who always greets you in the hallway—instead of a face you’ve seen in a number of classic movies and shows that probably approaches triple digits.
Much like the sun, sometimes Buscemi’s eyes—and the rest of him—are at their strongest when doled out in limited quantities, adding an indescribable excellence to a movie or show in need of some extra oomph. His latest role comes in Wild Horse Nine, a darkly comedic thriller from writer/director Martin McDonagh, the Oscar-winning Irish filmmaker behind movies like In Bruges and The Banshees of Inisherin. The film follows a pair of longtime friends and CIA officers, Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell), in 1973 as they visit Easter Island in Chile, just ahead of the infamous coup d’état.
Chris, who is terminally ill, is essentially being put out to pasture by the agency, and wants to take a visit from their station in Santiago, and Lee joins him. Buscemi plays a supporting role, popping up throughout its runtime as MJ, the spectacularly dressed and morally dubious boss to our lead duo. Buscemi has played lead roles before, including, most notably, in HBO’s hit series Boardwalk Empire, for which he won a Golden Globe and was nominated for two Emmys.
But it’s those supporting roles—in everything from blockbusters like Con Air to classics like Reservoir Dogs and The Big Lebowski to cameos in Adam Sandler movies—that have made him iconic, and it’s those kinds of movies where people see him put some of his best work on display. How, then, does he so regularly make a character like MJ feel lived-in and three-dimensional in a movie that mostly follows Chris and Lee? My job is to come in and pretend like it’s my movie!” He explains that he read Frank Capra’s autobiography, The Name Above the Title, where the It’s a Wonderful Life director makes it clear that he considers every character in one of his films to be worthy of their own standalone narrative.
It doesn’t matter how much screen time he has.” It’s a busy season for Buscemi, who’s not only in Wild Horse Nine, but also plays a key supporting role alongside his old friend (and fellow Coen brothers collaborator) John Turturro in The Only Living Pickpocket in New York. As the former film hits theaters and with the latter already out, Buscemi spoke to Men’s Health about locking in on his roles, close friendships, and memories with the cast of The Big Lebowski. MEN’S HEALTH: What draws you to a project?
STEVE BUSCEMI: I mean, I like compelling characters. I like ensemble films and ensemble casts. I like good writing and good directing, and with Martin you get that in one package.
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