Hither Are the Best Answers From Steve Buscemi's Reddit AMA

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 05: Actor Steve Buscemi attends HBO's

Steve Buscemi. Photo: Brad Barket/2012 Getty Images

Steve Buscemi stepped out of his comfort zone Monday night to take part in a Reddit AMA. The Q&A session was held on behalf of a documentary he'southward oversupply-funding and co-producing called Bank check Information technology, most a gay and transgender gang fighting to survive in Washington, D.C., via fashion. Buscemi answered questions virtually the picture; shared Adam Sandler, John Goodman, and David Chase anecdotes; and addressed his character's fate in Boardwalk Empire. Thank you to all the chuckles and ums and ellipses, the typed-out answers sound fresh out of the histrion's oral cavity. Read some of the highlights below.

Did he know what was going to happen to his character in The Sopranos beforehand?

Well, I signed upwardly for two seasons, and then I fully expected to come back for another season - and towards, you know, towards the terminate of that season, it was season 5, I got a bulletin on my phone from David Hunt, and the joke on-set was "You never want to go a phone telephone call from David Hunt." And…so… I called him back, and he asked me if I wanted to have lunch the following day, I said certain, he picked a restaurant, and I got off the phone and thoughtMaybe this is a good thing, maybe there'south something else he has me in mind for, it doesn't necessarily mean that my character was going to get wacked.

So I met him for lunch, I was thinking almost it, didn't sleep much, and I got to the lunch and the first affair he said was:

"I'm sad. Nosotros're going to have to impale yous."

Something like that. I don't remember his verbal words, but it was to the effect that there was just no way that my character could conceivably live doing what he did.

And of course, I understood! chuckles

But I was sorry that i wasn't coming back, considering information technology was such a wonderful show to work on.

Favorite TV testify right now?

Well, John Oliver's show is really, really adept.

And I like the Daily Show. And I retrieve Larry Wilmore is doing a great job on his evidence. I'll exist very sad to see Jon Stewart go. I think he's just been amazing every year that he's been on.

What do I like?… Well, BREAKING BAD. I guess that'southward non current, simply that'due south something I actually similar… what's on now? Game of Thrones, that's a good show… and I love watching Peter Dinklage. You know, I've worked with Peter a lot over the years. Our first flick that we did was chosen LIVING IN OBLIVION, that was written & directed by Tom DeCillo, and it was well-nigh the making of a depression-upkeep moving picture, and Catherine Keener'southward in it, and Dermott Mulroney, and he'southward fabricated some really wonderful films. I've worked with him a few times. The last moving picture that I did together with Tom (the director) was called DELIRIOUS, with Michael Pitt, and in that one I play a paparazzi-blazon photographer, and Michael played a homeless/out of work role player, simply I take him under my wing and he becomes famous and gets his ain reality testify. And information technology'south a very funny film. In LIVING IN OBLIVION, Peter played a grapheme in a dream sequence that I did.

How does FX's Fargo compare to the moving picture?

I take not seen the TV Show FARGO. But I hear wonderful things near it. I practice hope to spotter it… someday! Anytime I hope to watch a lot of shows, haha, that I don't seem to see.

What fabricated him work on Check Information technology?

I did not (unfortunately) spend plenty of time with the kids in the motion-picture show. But I practise hope to encounter them. Right now, the movie is however being worked on, and that's why I'g doing this entrada. But I volition say about these kids, you know, that I've seen in the documentary - they accept tremendous heart, and tremendous courage, and I think they're certainly - they have a crude go of it, y'all know. Every 24-hour interval. And I find their struggle actually moving, and inspiring.

Well, you lot know, when I was their historic period, and growing up in the town that i grew up in, in the time that i grew up in, it was…information technology was… if you lot were gay, you could not let anybody know that. So to see these kids just really exist who they are, and a lot of them are flamboyantly so, it kind of amazes me that at that place's - even in this twenty-four hour period and age, that I think is a lot more tolerant than when I grew up - there's still a lot of hate out there, and especially where they alive, it's really dangerous. Information technology's quite dangerous for them to be who they are. And so they've banded together out of necessity- a lot of them come from broken homes - so they've created their ain family with each other, so they really help and support each other, and I really adore that.

I actually…uh, admire that they struggle every mean solar day to make a life for themselves.

How does he proceed calm?

There's different songs that would pop into my head. Information technology depends what I'yard listening to.

Right now, Diana Krall has a new album out that I similar a lot, then there's songs on at that place I've been humming in my head. She does some actually wonderful interpretations of songs that I knew from years ago. One of them is ALONE Once again, NATURALLY.

Or the Jim Croce song OPERATOR.

With so much support tied to firefighting, what made him become an actor?

And then… I always wanted to be an actor, but I'd like to go back to the burn department question, because the person mentioned my connectedness to the fire department, and I do support this wonderful group in New York chosen "Friends of Fire Fighters." And it was started by Nancy Carbone, in the backwash of 9/eleven, she but went around to the firehouses in her community, to see if they needed anything, and it's grown into this amazing organization, where they provide mental health services to firefighters and their families, as well as other services, and I tin't say enough good things about them. They were at that place for the firefighting community later nine/11, and after Hurricane Sandy, but they are there on a daily basis, for any firefighter or their family unit that needs support or help.

And getting back to the acting question - information technology's something I idea about as a child. I never actually idea I'd do it for real, or certainly make a living at it, and it's something that - it took years to sort've… exist able to make a living at information technology, and I feel lucky that I'one thousand able to.

Favorite Adam Sandler moving-picture show?

Well, I'm very partial to Baton MADISON, because that was i of the first films that Adam did on his own, every bit part of his production company. And the film that we did before that was called AIRHEADS, which was directed by Michael Lehman, and that was the film Adam and I met on, where we played brothers in the band, "The Lone Rangers"… and I ever take a great time working with Adam. I loved the grapheme I played in THE WEDDING SINGER. I simply worked with him again on the western that he's shooting now called THE RIDICULOUS SIX. But yeah, I would say… I don't know if I have a favorite, but I actually do love the character in BILLY MADISON.

What was it similar volunteering after 9/eleven?

Um… aye, I hateful, I was recognized, but nobody made a large deal out of information technology.

And I was down there with the visitor that i used to piece of work with, Engine 55. I used to work with them, you know, on the fire department in the early on 80's, and they lost 5 members of their company, and and then, you know, it was but… something that I wanted to practise for them. To help them out? And being at the site… with them… with my old company, it actually helped me out, you know. They're the ones that were helping me, because every New Yorker at that time, it was just a atraumatic thing to go through - and not only for New Yorkers, only the whole land was in shock. So I feel privileged to have been able to be there, on the site, because everyone I knew wanted to do something, wanted to help, only a lot of people just didn't know how, how to assist immediately. And I did take a physical way of helping. Only that did a lot for my state-of-existence, and I was only downwardly there for a few days, and I can't fifty-fifty draw - actually- what information technology was like. But, um… I'm grateful that I was able to exist there.

Will he ever go dorsum to writing and directing?

Trees LOUNGE was something that - took everything out of me! I so wanted to write something, and direct something, and write something that I could exist in… only I never necessarily saw myself as a writer or a manager. I had been doing work with a good friend of mine, the actor Mark Benefaction, Jr. - he plays the character of Bobby on SONS OF Anarchy - and nosotros used to do a lot of theater together, throughout the 1980's on the Lower East Side and in the East Village - and and so we always created our own work, and that's what i was trying to do with the moving picture, too. You know. To write a office for myself, for Benefaction, for my brother Michael who's a wonderful actor, and for friends of mine, like Rockets Redglare, who's a wonderful comedian and actor… Then… I've continued to direct sometimes, and sometimes I have a hand in some of the things I've directed in, in the writing, just yeah! Peradventure in the time to come.

Spirit animal?

Possibly my spirit creature is - a - monkey.

Best memories from Large Lebowski:

Anytime y'all're on a Coen brothers fix, it'southward simply the most fun and relaxed set.

I just loved doing those long takes with John Goodman and Jeff Bridges. And I dear sitting between them, you know? There's that 1 scene where we're at the counter in the bowling alley, and I'yard seated betwixt them, and they're arguing - and I LOVED just being around those guys.

I was once in a hotel room, and through the wall, I could hear this loud voice on the telephone.

And at first I thought Oh my god, I have this really loud neighbour. Maybe I should switch rooms! And then I recognized the voice, and information technology was John Goodman. So I actually heard him ordering room service, hahaha, loudly! And and so when the room service tray came up, I popped my caput out the door, and he was very surprised to see me. And he said "Forget room service! Let's go downwards and have dinner!"

And I just love existence effectually him.

And of course, Jeff Bridges is one of the sweetest guys. He's a actually great lensman. He would take pictures of us on-gear up. And he'southward been in like, all these peachy movies, and it was just fun to hear him tell us stories of what information technology was like to piece of work with John Huston on the fix of FAT CITY…

Jeff Bridges could bring about world peace.

How many cartwheels can he practice in under 30 seconds?

Um… 20-three.

What's he working on adjacent?

I'm gearing up to do the second season of a spider web series that I do on AOL, chosen "Park Bench." We did our first season last year. You know, we're in pre-production fashion on that, and that'southward been fun - trying to become that together again.

Favorite books:

At that place'due south this volume called YOU CAN'T WIN by Jack Blackness (but it's not the Jack Blackness that nosotros know of today - this was a guy at the turn of the century, who used to ride the rails, and led the Hobo life, and wrote near it as a cautionary tale - he drank also much, he did too many drugs - just it's hard not to read that book and non want to alive the life that he led! It'south a book that really inspired William Burroughs, and actually, he had two books I really love - he'southward got a lot of books - but I actually loved his books JUNKIE and QUEER).

JUNKIE actually describes the life that William Due south. Burroughs lived in New York - his life of, I judge he was writing almost the 1940'due south, and and so QUEER is when he lived in United mexican states City, and Jack Kerouac's ON THE ROAD has always been a favorite likewise.

His thoughts on the end of Boardwalk:

I was happy with the way it ended. No, I didn't necessarily come across it coming, merely I was glad that they wrapped it up on that story between Nucky and Gretchen Mol's character, because that was a story that always interested me, and you lot know, when y'all look through the series, Nucky and Gillian didn't really accept a lot of scenes - I recall I but had about 5 scenes with Gillian. And I always LOVED working with Gretchen, and I e'er wished we could do more together. Merely ever since that scene nosotros did together at the fortune teller's shop, I always wondered - what was their relationship?

And so sometimes the show writers were forthcoming with the backstory - and and so sometimes they were non. Then in that location was just and then much that they could tell me about the backstory of Nucky. Because I think - specially when you're writing on a TV series - you don't know the consummate story of your characters, and you're going to leave information technology open, and then they can go in any direction that they want. So you don't get tied into a physical backstory - and then it wasn't until the final flavor, until those last few episodes, that I truly understood Nucky's backstory.

Who'south better at bowling? Him or John Turturro?

You lot know, we used to get bowling together, and yeah, I'd say John. John was meliorate. I think he's just a amend athlete in general.

Con Air two?

Um… well, I'thou kinda curious what happened to Garland Greene? I guess if he got on some other plane, haha, that could exist a CON AIR two. Sure! I had a lot of fun making that film. And I thought it was a great cast, and I thought Jerry Bruckheimer and Simon West put together a really slap-up cast, and it was fun to hang out in the desert with all of them. So yeah!

The All-time Answers From Steve Buscemi's Reddit AMA