Gary Busey Biography

The eventual hell-raiser was raised himself in Oklahoma. He attended Kansas State University on a football scholarship before a knee injury caused him to abandon his dreams of a professional sports career. While turning his attention toward theatre studies, this budding Renaissance man turned his hand to music, playing percussion with Leon Russell, Willie Nelson, and a man who would later act alongside, Kris Kristofferson.

Busey married photographer Judy Helkenberg in 1968 and they had a son, Jake Busey. In 1971, Gary Busey made his cinematic debut with a lead role in the biker film ‘Angels Hard as They Come’, which was written by Jonathan Demme. After the break-up of his marriage in the mid-Seventies, he started to star alongside some big stars. These 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 hospitalised 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.

In 2000, after he was arrested and charged with spousal abuse, Busey separated from his second wife Tiani Warden.

Despite shying away from major Hollywood roles in the early part of the 2000s, the veteran actor remained consistently in work with a string of television appearances on shows such as 'The Outer Limits' (2000), 'Law & Order' (2001) and Scrubs (2006), as well as lending his voice to big-budget video game title 'Grand Theft Auto: Vice City' (2002).

He has also been able to handpick film roles to suit his changing mood, including a selection of lesser-known action titles, comedies and thrillers. Busy took a starring role in the 2005 horror B-movie 'The Gingerdead Man' (2005), and also starred as himself in an episode of 'The Simpsons' that year. He then lent his voice to 'Dr Doolittle 3' (2006) and also took on supporting roles in 'The Hard Easy' (2006) and 'Lady Samurai' (2007).

Busey has also remained a mainstay of TV thanks to his appearance as a mentor on 'Celebrity Rehab with Dr Drew' (2008) and then on 'Celebrity Apprentice 4' (2011), the show on which he had a famous falling out with rock legend Meat Loaf. He has also made several appearances on hit HBO comedy 'Entourage' playing an exaggerated version of the mad-man persona he has created for himself in more than four decades of show business.

Away from the camera, he continues to cope with his demons, but claims to have been sober for over a decade and found love with girlfriend Steffanie Sampson. The couple had their first child, Luke Sampson Busey, together in February 2010.