Often hailed as the king of independent films, Steve Buscemi was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on December 13, 1957. After some acting in high school, Buscemi moved to Manhattan to study the craft, which eventually led to his first starring role in Parting Glances (1986).

Buscemi is a favorite among directors such as Jim Jarmusch, the Coen brothers, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, having starred in such films as Mystery Train (1989), Fargo (1996), Reservoir Dogs (1992), Desperado (1995) and Armageddon (1998). He also appeared in several Adam Sandler comedies, including Billy Madison (1995) and Mr. Deeds (2002).

More recently, Buscemi has branched out into directing with the films Trees Lounge (1996) and Animal Factory (2000) as well as episodes of HBO's "Oz" and "The Sopranos" -- on which he played Tony Soprano's cousin Tony Blundetto for one season.