Gary Busey is the ultimate wild man of action movies. Here are 5 times the Busey absolutely lost it!
Gary Busey is an ultimate action movie treasure. Even in his early days, we’ve loved his cock-toothed grin and mad dog haircuts. His movie star voice howls out of the screen like a mix between Buddy Holly and a wild animal caught in a bear trap.
Today, we here at the Ultimate Action Movie Club are going to celebrate all the times in which Gary Busey has made our lives just a little bit better with his insane performances. From dressing up in drag and singing his heart out to breaking our hearts with his story of poor Prince Henry Stout, we love us some Gary Busey insanity.
Here are the five times in which Gary Busey absolutely lost his s*** in some of our favorite ultimate action movie moments!
Drag Dance Scene | Under Siege (1992)
If, for whatever reason you’ve been living an ultimate action movie sized rock and have no idea who Sir Gary Busey is, this might be the best way to meet the man, the myth, the legend! Steven Seagal’s Under Siege is an ultimate action movie classic for many reasons, but perhaps the greatest one is a truly odd, bizarre, over-the-top and awesome performance by the great Gary Busey.
Yes, he’s a ranking officer on a boat full of sailors. And yes they might be modestly excited (by U.S. Navy standards, certainly) for some music and live entertainment, Busey’s Commander Krill still thinks its a good and appropriate idea to dress up like a woman and parade himself around like a mad man.
Tommy Lee Jones seems to dig it, but he’s also about to kill everyone, so maybe he’s just using Busey’s dancing as motivation.
2 Meatball Sandwiches | Point Break (1991)
To be honest, could do a whole article on this scene alone. Not to mention on the great Gary Busey and Keanu Reeves buddy comedy Point Break – (AND YEAH! I know Patrick Swayze is in it too, but this movie is about Busey and Reeves!)
So, let’s dive into this step-by-step. First, it’s 10:30 in the morning, the guys are on a stake-out and Busey is having the time of his life. Not only is he audibly guffawing away at a Calvin and Hobbes comic in the paper, he’s absolutely mad for some meatball sandwiches. Like there’s nothing else in the man’s head until the most remote of stimuli enters it. And the meatball sandwiches, he doesn’t order one for himself and ask what his blue-flame rookie wants? NO! He orders two for himself, sends the rook on the way then dives back into his Sunday funnies. Pure. Busey. Awesome. Insanity!
Sir Henry Stout Speech | Surviving the Game (1994)
While these other examples of the Busey monster being everyone’s fun-loving insane uncle, this scene from Surviving the Game is anything but. In his famous “Prince Henry Stout” monologue, Busey shows the sheer range of his insanity by describing, in detail, how his father forced him to kill his favorite dog.
While this fits well with the “man is the most dangerous game” motif of the film, there’s just something about this scene that is utterly insane.
Could it be that Busey isn’t acting at all? It really feels like he’s just telling a story from his youth. It would explain a lot.
Read more here about how MAN IS THE BEST PREY IN SURVIVING THE GAME (1994)
Do you Smoke Scene | Lethal Weapon (1987)
In a role that made Gary Busey a UAMC legend, Busey’s Mr. Joshua is a great example of how Busey can steal any scene he’s in. Specifically the “Do you smoke” scene where Busey – in a rare calm and collected performance – showcases just how unnerving the man can be.
Note the curled lip and deadly stare. That’s the face of a mad man who feels no pain. Fun fact: no special effects or prosthetics were used in this scene as Busey insisted on doing the stunt the same way he often does at his favorite beachside bar before ordering Jager shots for the rest of marina.
A F****** Alien Scene | Predator 2 (1990)
More proof that Busey, when he wants to, can clean up quite nicely. All told, his performance in Predator 2 is really quite admirable (and despite being overshadowed by the original Predator, is very much UAMC-worthy in of itself). However, even in his put-together performances, Busey still simmers with hot, steaming madness underneath.
With his “a f******* alien” delivery, you can see the clouds divide as you get a glimpse into the pure craziness which would go on to spawn I’m With Busey and a whole career worth of defying what people can understand as normal and rational thought and behavior.
We at the UAMC truly do salute and honor the great Gary Busey for his insane mad-cap action movie performances as one of the great insane actors of our generations!
What’s your favorite Gary Busey action movie moments? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!
