This article will answer every question you have about Gary Busey. Below are some of the frequently asked questions about him.
- What does Gary do for a living?
- Who are Gary’s parents and siblings?
- What are Gary’s interests and hobbies?
- Is Gary married or does he have a girlfriend/ boyfriend?
- Does Gary have any children?
- Where is Gary now?
- How tall is Gary?
- How much money does Gary earn?
- What is Gary’s net worth?
N/B: Please read the entire post to have all your questions answered.
Who is Gary Busey?
William Gary Busey is an American well-known actor. In 1978, he portrayed Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor and won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor.
How Old Is Gary Busey?
He is 78 years old as of August 2022, having been born on June 29, 1944, in Goose Creek, Texas, U.S. Gary shares his birthdate with celebrities such as; Camila Mendes, SmallishBeans, Zion Kuwonu, Nicole Scherzinger, Dom Zeglaitis, and many more.
Gary Busey Family
Who are Gary Busey’s Parents?
He was born to Delmer Lloyd Busey (Father) a construction manager, and Sadie Virginia Arnett (Mother) a homemaker.
Does Gary Busey have Siblings?
He has two siblings by the name David Busey and Carol Barraza.
Gary Busey Education
He received his high school education at Nathan Hale High School. After high school, he attended Coffeyville Community College before attending Pittsburg State University. Later after a knee injury, he transferred to Oklahoma State University where he went to study theater. However, he quit school just one unit short of graduation.
Gary Busey Marital Status
He is currently in a relationship with Steffanie Sampson (born on August 19, 1974). They began dating in 2008. However, he has been previously married twice. First, he was married to Judy Helkenberg (born on January 2, 1944, an actress), they married in 1968 and divorced in 1990. Second, he was married to Tiani Warden (born in 1967, but died on November 4, 2019, an actress), they married in 1996 and divorced in 2001.
Gary Busey Kids
He has three kids. One kid with his ex-wife Judy, a son by the name of Jake Busey (born on June 15, 1971) an American actor. A second kid with his ex-wife Tracy, a daughter by the name of Alectra Busey (born in 1994). And the third kid with his girlfriend Steffanie, a son by the name of Luke Sampson Busey.
Gary Busey Career
An Early Career
He began his show business career as a drummer in The Rubber Band. And has appeared on several Leon Russell recordings, credited as playing drums under the name “Teddy Jack Eddy” a character he created when he was a cast member of a local television comedy show in Tulsa, Oklahoma called The Uncanny Film Festival and Camp Meeting on station KTUL (which starred fellow Tulsan Gailard Sartain as “Dr. Mazeppa Pompazoidi”). In 1969, he played in a band called Carp which released one album on Epic Records. During the 1970s, he continued to play several small roles in both film and television. In 1975, the character “Harvey Daley” was the last person killed in the series Gunsmoke (in the third-to-last episode, No. 633 – “The Busters”).
A Career Rise to Prominence
Busey made his major film debut in 1974, with a supporting role in Michael Cimino’s buddy action caper Thunderbolt and Lightfoot starring Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges. In 1976, he was hired by Barbra Streisand and her producer-boyfriend Jon Peters to play Bobby Ritchie, the road manager to Kris Kristofferson’s character in the remake film A Star Is Born. Next, he starred as rock legend Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story in 1978, with Sartain as The Big Bopper.
Because of his performance, he received the greatest critical acclaim of his career. And the movie earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and the National Society of Film Critics’ Best Actor Award for him. That same year, he starred in the small yet acclaimed drama Straight Time and the surfing movie Big Wednesday which is now a minor cult classic. In the 1980s, his films included the critically acclaimed western Barbarosa, the comedies D.C. Cab, and Insignificance, and the Stephen King adaptation Silver Bullet.
He went on to have prominent supporting roles in the 1990s, in successful action films such as Predator 2, Point Break, and Under Siege. Moreover, he appeared in Rookie of the Year, The Firm, Black Sheep, Lost Highway, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. In March 1979, he sang the song “Stay All Night” on Saturday Night Live (season 4, episode 14) and on the Late Show with David Letterman in the 1990s.
A Career from the 2000s to Present
In 2002, he voiced the character Phil Cassidy in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. And later reprises the role in the prequel Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories in 2006. Because of his portrayal of the outlandish character, he received much praise from critics and fans. The next year, he starred in a Comedy Central reality show, I’m with Busey.
He also voiced himself in an episode of The Simpsons in 2005, and also appeared in the popular miniseries Into the West. That same year, he starred in the horror film The Gingerhead Man as the titular character and crazed killer Millard Findlemeyer. Next, he appeared as himself in a prominent recurring role on HBO’s Entourage in 2007. The next year, he joined the second season of the reality show Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.
Career Continuation
In March 2009, he appeared as a roaster at the Comedy Central Roast of Larry the Cable Guy. In March 2011, he returned to reality television in Celebrity Apprentice 4 and again appeared in Celebrity Apprentice 6. He went on to become a celebrity spokesperson for Amazon Fire TV. in 2014. That year in August, he appeared and became the first American winner of the 14th series of the UK version of Celebrity Big Brother.
It was announced on September 1, 2015, that he would be competing in the 21st season of Dancing with the Stars. There, he paired with professional dancer Anna Trebunskaya. He and Anna made it to Week 4 of the competition but were then eliminated and finished in 10th place. He was then on June 17, 2019, to star as God in the Off-Broadway musical Only Human at the Theatre at St. Clements in New York. The production was scheduled to begin performances on October 8, 2019, and officially open on October 21.
Gary Busey Height and Measurements
Adding up to his well-built body is a height of 6ft 0inches (1.82m) and a weight of 77kg (169lbs).
Gary Busey’s Salary and Net Worth
He has a monthly income of $15,000 and a net worth of $500,000.
