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One of the truly special character actors of this generation got his start as a firefighter, was once stabbed in the throat while defending Vince Vaughn, and wrestled Andy Richter on live television and lost. You were probably guessing Richard Jenkins or maybe Philip Seymour Hoffman, I bet, but no, the man I'm talking about is Steve Buscemi. All of that fascinating back story and still no Oscar nomination or win! How is that kind of slight possible in this day and age?

Buscemi is remembered for his roles in some of producer Jerry Bruckheimer's most famous action films, like 1997's Con Air and 1998's Armageddon, or as one of the actors who always seems to make a memorable appearance in films by Joel and Ethan Coen, like 1992's Barton Fink or 1990's Miller's Crossing. Of course, some people may remember him from his 16-episode stint on the classic HBO mob drama The Sopranos. You are also very likely familiar with his work behind the camera, as he's directed a few episodes of The Sopranos, Oz, and even Tina Fey's hit comedy 30 Rock. His few feature films, including 2007's Interview and his debut feature, Trees Lounge, aren't nearly as successful, but you can't say Buscemi's not consistently working as hard as he can.

The harder he works, the better off we are, folks. Though his most prestigious awards have been Independent Spirit prizes, Buscemi's filmography, totaling over 100 projects, is vast and - for the most part - impressive. Whatever else you can say about the movies he's in (I can't say I'm a big fan of Armageddon, for example), Buscemi is always at the top of his game, and has been so starting with his first major role in a feature film. Since his supporting role in Ghost World, Buscemi's proven that he's more versatile than just a weaselly sneak, a common role he played in his earlier 1990s work.

Buscemi is also the rare character actor who's likely familiar to almost all age groups, thanks to his involvement with people like Bruckheimer or, inexplicably enough, Adam Sandler. Some of Sandler's films, including The Wedding Singer, Mr. Deeds, and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, have featured cameo performances from Buscemi. My personal favorite remains his drunken, guitar-playing best man in Wedding Singer; it may be a short scene, but there's no counting how often I still laugh at his deranged howling in the parking lot of the reception hall.

From independent films to trailblazing dramas to even colorful kids' movies like Spy Kids 2, Steve Buscemi is easily one of the hardest working and intriguing actors in Hollywood. He elevates even the worst of movies (I'm looking at you, The Island) and is on par with some of the great Hollywood character actors. A word of caution: the Bruckheimer films and a particular Coen cult classic do not show up here; that's not to say they're not fun or, in the case of the Coens' film, good, but Buscemi only does so much there to make his scenes work. With that in mind, the A-List presents the best of Steve Buscemi.

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