Actor Steve Buscemi, 66, was walking the streets of New York City on the morning of Wednesday, May 8, when a passerby punched him in the face in a seemingly random and unprovoked attack.
Buscemi, who is known for roles in films such as “Fargo,” “Reservoir Dogs” and the television show “Boardwalk Empire,” was walking through the Kip’s Bay neighborhood in Mid-town Manhattan when his assailant reportedly walked up and struck him in the face. The New York Post was the first to report on the attack on Sunday.
“Steve Buscemi was assaulted in Mid-Town Manhattan, another victim of a random act of violence in the city,” his publicist said in a statement shared with the New York Post. “He is ok and appreciates everyone’s well wishes.”
News 12 New York reported Buscemi was taken to a hospital shortly after the attack. He was bleeding and had swelling and bruising near his left eye.
The New York Post shared photos on X purporting to show Buscemi out and about with sunglasses covering a black eye.
The suspect in the attack remains at large.
Buscemi is not the first to experience a seemingly random act of violence while walking the streets of New York City, let alone the only actor from “Boardwalk Empire” to experience such violence.
On March 31, a suspect assaulted Buscemi’s “Boardwalk Empire” coworker, 55-year-old actor Michael Stuhlbard, as he walked near Central Park. WABC-TV reported the suspect hit Stuhlbarg in the head with a rock, but that the actor chased his assailant down until he could be arrested near the Russian consulate in New York City.
Buscemi’s representative told the New York Post that the actor is “incredibly sad for everyone that this has happened to while also walking the streets of New York.”
Buscemi previously worked as a firefighter with the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) from 1980 to 1984, prior to the start of his acting career in 1985. Buscemi returned to his old firehouse after the Sept. 11, 2001, Al Qaeda attacks and volunteered for hours helping search through the rubble of the World Trade Center for survivors.
