"Steve Buscemi"

0:28Okay, guys, we're going to do it. And goodbye No, hello Until the next one It's an all new Smartless Until the next one Smartless Smart Less

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0:54What time is it there, Sean? It's dinner It's 5.30 p.m. 5.30 I just ate I had a piece of cod and I had some potatoes and some asparagus. So cod, that's British. That's what they do the fish and chips with, right? That's right. I had cod. But before that, I had a cinnamon roll. I'll bet. Yeah, of course. That's British for American food. Hey, are you just moving dinner earlier and earlier into the day? What's happening? Well, I do have. It's funny because my day kind of starts now because LA is just waking up. so meanwhile you've done a full day of rehearsal already yeah yeah and some interviews in the morning and radio like photo shoot but aren't you when you say your day starts what are you doing yeah so after this then I go I'm writing something for something and then I don't want to say it so are you trying your hand at screenwriting or writing a play or no I'm just we're kind of talking it out and writing what the characters are the development like the outline and all that stuff okay yeah Will, does it taste good?

1:59God, does it sound? Fuck. Sorry. Sorry, I forgot. The gum. We're doing an audio show. I know. Who was the person who said, somebody said to me once, hey, man, can you turn your gum down? That's a good one. That is so good. Sorry, I forgot. And Will, you're just getting started over there. Well, no, actually, you're midday right now. I'm midday. I was up this morning at 5.45. Don't need to brag. Isn't that wild? LA, New York, London. What's wild? Tell me what's wild. Different time zones? Talked about how wild. Let's talk about how wild it is, Sean. Wait, Sean. No, sorry. What is it? Oh, it's Will.

2:45What did you do since 5.30? You're seven hours into your day. So I woke up this morning. I did my turtle, whirtle, quirtle that used to be a part of with our old buddies. You're still doing that. I'm still doing it. every morning. I love it. And then I did a hot cold. I did a sauna and then I did a cold plunge for a few minutes. Then I went to my morning meeting. Gathering. Meeting. Very good. With all my peeps. Had a little coffee. Came back. Drove able to work. Came back. Worked out. And now I'm here. Had quickly something to eat and now I'm here. So I've had a pretty full day. When did you shower?

3:18Oh, fuck. I knew there was something. Yeah. I knew. I'm going to do it after because it's just me in this sticky little booth. No, but you have I didn't have time. I didn't have time. I literally just finished. I went upstairs. I had some leftover chicken salad. All I'm figuring out from this is that the workout was light. It was not light. I'll guarantee you that. Well, then why haven't you showered? You weren't a sweaty fucking mess. Of course I wasn't. I didn't have time. I didn't want to be late because we have a great guest today. All right. But wait. Yes, go ahead. Oh, no, no, no. Get into it then.

3:48No, no. Get into it. I do have a great guest. I do have a great guest. You guys are going to be really thrilled. and so is, I mean, our audience already knows because they looked at the thing when they logged on. Sardinos, what? Our audience already knows. Sardinos, is your hearing going with your hair? What's happening? That's what happens. And the knees and the hips. Our guest today, he has built a career out of portraying some of the most unique and unforgettable characters in recent cinema. I mean, he's one of these guys who has... Al Pacino. Burt Reynolds McConaughey he's coming back he literally just said one sentence all better all better I think our guest is I think our guest is laughing at how absurd that is Al Pacino out of the blue haven't even named him he's been nominated for Golden Globes he's been to Spirit Awards here's Frosden you oh my god you know him you know him And he's done it all in television and film.

4:56Some of the great Boardwalk Empire. Steve Buscemi. Get him out here. Sopranos. Reservoir Dogs. Steve Buscemi. God, you guys wouldn't let me finish for fuck's sake. You've got to bury. You should have started with. You can't name his stuff because once you start naming everything he's done, you're like, oh, yeah. Start with some of the voiceover stuff. You would have kept us in the dark. Well, if I'd started with the animated movies, you're right. One of the greatest voiceover artists next to Will Arnett. That's right. That's saying something. Thank you. That's saying very little. Monsters University.

5:31There you go. I know. I know. Right? He knows. What about Igor? Oh, Igor. Right. Igor. Come on. We've worked together a lot and never really. Wait, what was Igor now? I don't know if I knew Igor. It was an animated film from 17 ,000 years ago. Okay. John Cusack. Yeah. Oh. Igor. Jennifer Coolidge. Molly Shannon Sean you played What a cast Brian You were the brain But you spelled it wrong No My name is Brian Boy if he was the brain You guys were in trouble I always challenge myself on that Steve Buscemi Welcome to Smartless God it's good to have you here This is great This is fantastic I'm such a massive Have been like everybody else Of what you do Because you do so much Different stuff You are It's amazing and so just to have you out here is I gotta say kind of a thrill not bigger than me I'm really aghast right now I know I'm a little but I'm not Al Pacino how lucky are we I'm sorry Sean I was a shot in the dark Steve where do we find you where's that beautiful orange room you're in I'm in the Netflix building in New York Okay.

6:49Oh, hence the red background. Yeah. Orange. Adjust your... Sort of a soundproof room. Yeah, either that or the set of Squid Game. I was going to get to this, but we can mention it early on. You're working on it. Your Netflix show is coming out soon, right? Wednesday. Wednesday. It's the name of the show. It's not coming out. That's the name of the... It's the second season of the Addams Family show Wednesday. That's right. That's right. Which has been a huge success. Huge, huge, huge success. Yeah, I love the first season, and I'm really excited that they cast me in the second season. I play the new principal of Nevermore.

7:27It's the boarding school that Wednesday attends. Ah, I see. Nice. Well, you'd make a great principal. I don't know. I think I do. Steve, so we always ask people how they got started, whatever. I've always wanted to know, what was a young Steve Buscemi like? When you were a kid, were you like seven years old, you wanted to be an actor or... Kind of. Because I know that you started with a different career professionally before you started acting. What was it? Can you walk us through that a little bit? Well, I mean, when I was a kid, you know, like all of us, I watched a lot of TV and it was everything.

8:04You know, it was like the Three Stooges, which, Sean, again, I have to say, man, you played... This was a picture. I can't believe you got to play Larry. Talk about a stooge. This guy was a perfected stooge. Die for casting. Three stooges were big in my house, in my house, in my apartment in East, not my apartment, in the apartment I lived in, in East New York, Brooklyn. Yeah, The Little Rascals, you know, shows like that. And then, but also, you know, like the afternoon movie that was on at like 4 o 'clock, you know, like that would show all these gangster films, So I was a big fan of Cagney and Bogart and all those films too.

8:47But did you see yourself doing this? Because like I alluded to, you kind of started in a different career. And Jason's not aware of this, but some people are. And so when was the moment that you allowed yourself? And just walk us through what that career was briefly, if you don't mind, if it's okay. Well, I mean, I was a firefighter in the early 80s. Wow, really? Yeah, but I had been trying to be an actor. and actually I tried my hand at stand-up. So it's not like I was a firefighter who then decided to become an actor. I was already kind of a flailing stand-up and wannabe actor who had taken the fire department test when I was 18 and they didn't get to my name.

9:34My name was on a list and they called me when I was like, I was 22 I think when I was called. And then I was like, I'm going nowhere with this showbiz stuff. So I joined the fire department. And you fought fires for four or five years. Yeah, I was at Engine 55 in Manhattan. In New York. Yeah, in New York. Oh, my goodness. And it should be noted that you also rejoined briefly after 9-11. Is that true? Well, I didn't rejoin. I went down to my old firehouse on Broome Street because I knew that they were there, that they had been at the site, and I couldn't get any information. So on the 12th, I went there, and I brought my turnout gear, my coat and helmet and boots and gloves.

10:25That's amazing. And I was brought into the site by another firefighter, and he told me about the guys that were missing in the company, and one was a good friend of mine. And anyway, I went down to the site, and I was able to find my company there. Because they had lost members, they had access to, like, the main pile that was, you know, still, wow. burning right and um and this is the day i got to work with them you know for the rest of the week you know this was on a wow man and were these were these guys you kept kept in touch with and you and were they still in the same no i mean there were some that yeah i mean there were some guys that i recognized who i used to work with but by and large it was all new new guys and um i didn't know them, but I got to know them during the week.

11:23And since then, I've stayed in touch. Wow. And now every year on 9-11, I attend the breakfast at the firehouse with the families, and then there's a mass service, and then there's a lunch, and there's also bar time in there. Sure, sure. They are firefighters. Yeah, sure. So there is a fair amount of drinking at Tony's Bar, yeah. That's incredible. I mean, that's, and Sean, you've supported, so you bought a calendar every year, right? Yeah. So. Steve. Steve had. We love that. Thank you, Sean. I never miss the year. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I do what I can. I do what I can. Steve, how did firefighting find you at a young age?

12:08Was your dad involved with any of that stuff? My dad was a sanitation worker. He worked in Brooklyn, and he did that for 30 years. And so he just knew the civil service, you know, like what that job meant, the benefits. The whole apparatus that keeps that city moving. Yeah, and, you know, the pay is good, and you get good benefits. And he always – I mean, he knew I wanted to become an actor, but he would tell me, you know, just put in your 20 years, and then you can do all the acting you want. It doesn't really work that way, but I tried it. Put in your 20. Put in your 20. Just put in your 20, retire at half pay, and then do all the acting you want.

12:55Right. He was noticing that you were leaning towards acting. Is that because you were taking classes as a young kid? Were you doing it at school? I mean, I think he kind of knew it that I had it in me since I was a little kid because when I was really little, I used to just make up stories and tell jokes. If we were at a cousin's wedding, I would like stand up on a table and just do like a stand-up routine. That's funny. I'm sure it was like stupid, but I was like five or six. So they, you know. And then I talk about this. I've talked about this before. When I was in fourth grade, my teacher, Mr.

13:38Riccobono, he cast me in a production of The Wizard of Oz I got to play the cowardly lion and I thought this is it if I never do anything else after this I have I was so happy and when I was on stage I just it was that feeling of wow people are enjoying this and they're laughing and I'm you know that'd be a good role for you JB the cowardly lion yeah I could do it I could do it he's got the hair for it wait so he does have the mane who was Was mom or dad somebody who was outgoing and sort of a – who was leading for you at that moment? Like who was your North Star? Was it mom or dad? You know, in their own ways, both.

14:23I mean my mom was the one when we were young who used to take us to the movies and see musicals and comedies. And then when I was a teenager, you know, a little bit, even younger, my dad would take us to the movies. And we'd see things like Across 110th Street and Cotton Comes to Harlem. And movies I just shouldn't have been seeing like that. But it was great. Yeah. And my dad, he had a good friend growing up in East New York named Peter Miller who became an actor. and he went to the neighborhood playhouse and he was in movies with Cassavetes and he was in Robert Altman's first film, The Delinquents.

15:09And then he, you know, but he did it for a few years and then he left and he became an investment banker. So by the time I, you know, was old enough to talk to him, he had left acting, but I still, you know, it was like, oh, Uncle Pete and he lives in Kenton, California and I was like, someday I'm going to make it to California and Uncle Pete's going to show me the ropes. Right. So there was that, you know, so there was that. But really, you know, in junior high and high school, I didn't do any theater. I kind of became a jock and did sports. What were you playing? I played soccer and a little bit of track, but wrestling was my, you know, big sport that I really loved.

15:56That's me. And then it wasn't until my senior year that I started to do the plays in high school. And I had another great teacher, Lynn Lappin. He was the English teacher, but he started the first acting class. And so I got to be in Fiddler on the Roof and just – it was really fun. That's cool. What was that first trip out to L.A. like? Was there one? Yeah. Yeah, I, so Uncle Pete and Charlene, his wife, they lived in Van Nuys. Yeah. Beautiful out there. So I stayed with them, but I didn't have a car. I didn't have a car, and he would go off to work, and I'd just be like, I want to, like, see LA.

16:42I didn't know, but I didn't know how to do it. Oh, you like 115 degrees with no trees? So no car in Van Nuys. So you just started hooping it and enjoying, you know, the fruits of Woodman Avenue and Sherman Way. But I think it was on that trip because I had done a film called Parting Glances in New York. And I went out to L.A. to try and meet casting people. and my friend Kathy Kinney, who was in that film, she was taking meetings and she would just bring me along. Like she would pick me up and bring me along to these meetings. And some people were okay, like, oh, you brought a friend. She was like, but he's a really good actor.

17:28You should see him too. But mostly I think they were like, well, who is this guy? Like why did you bring him? Yeah, that rarely goes down well. They're like, oh, of course, let's meet your friend. And so those first few experiences, were you kind of freestyling or were you coming with a certain amount of training that you were leaning on or were you more of an instinctual kind of guy? Yeah, I had no idea what I was doing, really. I just did not know. I remember when I first got a manager and I was going out on meetings and the feedback that he was getting was, you know, he's kind of so deadpan and he's like, he doesn't seem like he wants to be here.

18:11He just like is so quiet. Sounds good. So then I went to, I remember the first time I met Bonnie Timmerman, you know, big casting agent. I went in and I went in smiling. and the first thing she said to me is, what are you smiling for? I was like, well, now I don't know what to do. Right. She thought I was like laughing at something. I was like, no, I was told to smile. I'm coming there looking crazy. That's funny. And we will be right back.

18:47And now back to the show. So you kind of figure it out, though. Like you do a bunch of different parts. I mean, you do sort of like eight, ten movies maybe before Reservoir Dogs. Yeah, yeah. And you do a bunch of different, varying degrees, bigger roles and et cetera. What was, that must have been kind of a seminal moment if I'm guessing right. And talk a little bit about how that came into your world and what it was like first meeting Quentin Tarantino. So the script came to me from one of my early agents, Nancy Green, who has since passed away. But she was really great. And I have to back up the story because like a year before that, or maybe six months before that, she convinced me to go on an audition for – it was a Neil Simon comedy.

19:40And I don't remember – I don't even remember what film it was for. But I really didn't want to go, and she said, no, just go. You can meet the casting director, Ronnie Eskel, and just, you know. I went, okay. I went, and there were other actors there, and they put us in like a group scene. We were improvising, and it was fun. But, you know, I left, and I didn't get the, you know, whatever part that I was auditioning for and forgot about it. And then I got the script for Reservoir Dogs from Nancy, and I loved it. And I didn't, you know, the first time I met Quentin was on the phone. And hearing his voice, I was just shocked because I thought I was going to be talking to, like, an ex-convict who was, like, in his 50s or something.

20:31And instead it was like, hey, man, thanks for reading my script. Thanks a bunch. I'm really excited. And I was like, wait, is this, are you Quentin Tarantino? Yeah, yeah, man. I was like, it just didn't match up. But he was so excited and so enthused. And I auditioned for it twice. And then I did the workshop for it in Sundance. And it was Quentin and I. And this is, I guess, typical Quentin fashion. He tells me I got the part of Mr. Pink as we were in the bathroom. You know, we were in the bathroom together. And he said, oh, by the way, I cast you as Mr. Pink. Like, I went, what, what? Oh, really?

21:10He says, yeah. Wow. And he says, yeah, and it wasn't really based on your audition. You know, he says, but Ronnie Eskel showed me a tape of when you auditioned for that Neil Simon movie. I go, but that was a comedy. Like, what did you see in me that you thought? He goes, well, because you had on like a vintage shirt and your hair was slicked back and you look like a criminal. And that was just how I dressed. That was just me. Just rolling on a bed. yeah no way and so thank god i went on that audition you know yeah yes cool isn't that amazing how those things kind of worked like that you just never know it is and was that was that would you um would you say that that film or any of the films around that started to solidify for you uh what what you um what you were confident in doing and i guess the question is at what point did you start to really kind of just dig into your style, quote unquote, or what your confidence was?

22:13What I have is going to work. What I have is going to take me into something that I can make a living and also can be creatively fulfilled. Like when did you get that feeling of I've got what I think it takes and I like that they're hiring me for this type of thing? I mean, that film, Reservoir Dogs, had a lot to do with opening doors for sure. And it did a lot for my confidence. Just being cast, being cast in a movie with Harvey Keitel and having scenes with Harvey was, you know, that was like a dream. I never thought that that would be possible. And then getting to meet and work with actors like Tim Roth and Michael Madsen, who we sadly lost, and meeting Eddie Bunker, who was an ex-convict and wrote the movie Straight Time that was based on his book and Runaway Train.

23:14And so it was just exciting to be with these people and Chris Penn and the whole cast. So just having done the movie was a huge confidence boost. And then, you know, Quentin did us all a big favor by that credit sequence of having us, you know, walk in the parking lot and our names were underneath our faces like as we were walking. Because before that it was like, who's this guy? You know, like if my name was mentioned, you know, you couldn't put a face to the name. Sure. Now, at least, people could. And I had something to show. You know, like if I was up for something and they wanted to see what I did, that was the film.

23:57Yeah. And so that opened doors. But, you know, as far as what my style is or anything, I never know. You know, I feel like I've done so many different kinds of things. and depending on who I meet on the street, if I get recognized, I never know what they, is it from a Coen Brothers, is it from Tarantino, or is it from Adam Sandler? So some people only kind of know me in that comedic vein and other people know me from other things. Well, that's a tribute to your career. You're able to do so many different things so well. um it it must be you must have um a great number of choices in front of you uh at times and and and how do you how do you decide which way you're going to go um is it based on the people involved is it based on the the kind of character that being maybe different than the last one you just played how are you making your decisions i guess it's different each time sometimes it's just such a wonderful script and and and and if it's an independent film and it's a young filmmaker that's starting to come up and you know and uh i love doing that type of work oh wow um and and then other times it is you know it's the people who are involved but it it really is the material i mean i try and you know go for the material first um the script as a whole or your particular character As a whole.

25:32Yeah. As a whole. I mean, it used to be when I would, there was a time when I would read a script and they'd say what character and I would just flip the pages to see when the character would be killed. I swear. Oh, I made it to page 39. Okay. I think I'll do this one. Would it be like where the character was killed or would it also be like where the character can really score? Would you look at that and go like, oh, this is a good scene. This is, you know what I mean? Oh, well, yeah. If I, it was a, yeah. Yeah, I mean, there's that stuff where, like, if it's a good dramatic part or there was like a good scene.

26:03But, yeah, mainly I would either get beat up or I would be chasing somebody with a knife and then eventually get killed. Yeah, it went that way for a while. And we touched on it, Jason, you just said, too, you did so many different, not just so many different characters, but so many different kinds of, you know, size of films. You've done these huge Hollywood films and you've done these really small. In fact, you made the seminal independent film Living in Oblivion with our mutual friend Tom DiCillo. Yes. Which is about making an independent film, which is one of my favorites. And then you just said that you like working with young up-and-coming directors.

26:47Is it that you like the feeling of being part of that vibe of somebody who's just finding their way and exploring, is that exciting to you? Is that what it is? Yeah, yeah. I really love that. And I'm so happy that I was part of Quentin's first film. That was, I think, really exciting for all of us to see somebody like him. And he had such confidence in what he was doing that that's what I think blew all of us away. that he... It was such a clear point of view. So that kind of energy is contagious. It just makes you feel good about being in this business. Yeah, and not knowing you very well, Steve, is like, I get a sense from you that you're, and you correct me if I'm wrong, you're filled with gratitude and appreciation for working in where you are in life as an actor.

27:43Like, I can't ever see you being a problem on any set ever or having an issue. Like there's certain, you know, there's many, many types of actors and a lot of them can't wait to share all of their ideas and come to set with, you know, there's those types. And then there's other types that are just like, yes, I've studied my role. I have a few ideas, but you're in charge. Like, where do you fall? I think, yeah, I think I fall into, I mean, I've worked with so many different directors and I like to see what their style is. and how I can be accommodating. And since I've been directing, I'm even more so because now I know what directors go through.

28:26A lot of the times they're just trying to make the day, right? Yeah, we talk with Jason about it all the time because I always ask Jason about the difference between being on either side. And you have that too now. Yeah, I mean, it's like, well, why would I come through this door? Don't you think I should? It's like, okay, where do you want me to come through? Okay, good. Like I could figure out my own motivation, like if you want me to do this. And it's only when something really doesn't feel right. Like if I can't find my way around like organically why I'm doing something or if the blocking feels off, yeah, then I'll say something.

29:05But generally, yeah, I just like to show up and kind of do it, yeah. As a director, have you had those moments where you've had to say, just come through the fucking door, man? Yeah. Right. Why the door? Because it's the only door that we have. Right. And you need to come into the scene. So we need you in here to do the scene. Right. That's right. Right. Have you had those moments? I really can't think of anybody who was like that way with me. And, you know, I've, I mean, I've had moments, but I, I, and, you know, being an actor, I always like to see what the actor will come up with. you know if I have time to like rehearse something properly which you don't always I like to see what the actors do naturally and then try and you know and then and then block the scene sometimes you don't have that luxury you know you just want to get in there and say yeah the actors aren't here yet let's see if we can get them to be you know this one here this one here and then we can shoot it right so you're like we're already set up for this so this is how it's going to go but JB have you ever had that where you've had to kind of like just go fucking just do it you know what just do it yeah I mean, a thousand times.

30:14Really? Yeah, because personally, I'm such a fan of what the camera can do to help the audience understand what the scene is about. So oftentimes I'll have a huge plan already worked out about what the coverage is going to be. And that means that people have to be in certain spots. And so I'll try to encourage the actors to make a friend of that blocking. But if they aren't comfortable with it, I can pivot for sure. But Steve, with all the incredible set experience that you have and the number of fantastic directors that you've worked with, it's interesting to me to hear you say that you gravitate towards new directors at times.