# What the hell is wrong with Gary Busey?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-gary-busey/183617
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [June 22, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-gary-busey/183617 "2003-06-22T19:35:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-gary-busey/183617/1 "2003-06-22T19:35:57Z")
I don’t know if any of you caught the show “I’m with Busey” that premiered on Comedy Central last night wherein some failed comedy writer rides around with Busey in an attempt to learn “how to be a man.” Busey is absolutely nuts. I know he had brain trauma and lord you can see his face is disfigured but it seems he is partly manic, partly ADD, and partly just completely unaware of what’s going on. The show is somewhat of a sad carnival freakshow wherein the freak doesn’t know he’s being exploited. Does anyone know how bad his brain damage was or if he was always so fricking odd.
---
### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2003, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-gary-busey/183617/2 "2003-06-22T20:07:00Z")
KidCharlemagne
Not quite that odd in the early days.
Very effective as Buddy Holly in that biopic.
Okay in the Willie Nelson thing “Barbarosa.”
Convincing as Mr. Joshua in some Mel Gibson (?) thing.
And acceptable in something about some group of bikers. Title had chrome in it, I think.
Used to think he was unusual in his style, but liked his work.
Didn’t see the CC show the other night, mostly for fear that what you report would have happened. I don’t enjoy the exploitation theme all that much unless the exploitee really deserves it. Now I’ll have to think who such a person would be…
Michael Jackson?
Rosie O’Donnell?
Jerry Springer?
Bill O’Reilly?
Geraldo?
---
### Author:  [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-gary-busey/183617/3 "2003-06-22T21:00:50Z")
His motorcycle accident was quite some time ago, and he’s worked quite a bit since then, so unless there’s some new brain trauma I’m not aware of, I find this quite surprising.
---
### Author:  [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-gary-busey/183617/4 "2003-06-22T21:04:13Z")
He’s probably just putting on an act. I doubt it’s a show about exploiting some more brain-damaged man who doesn’t know he’s being laughed at.
---
### Author:  [@WillSantini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillSantini)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-gary-busey/183617/5 "2003-06-22T21:29:06Z")
I met him a little over a year ago, and he’s a little nuts but not as nuts as he is on the show.
---
### Author:  [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-gary-busey/183617/6 "2003-06-22T21:57:06Z")
didnt he used to use a lot of heroin or something at least thats what I’ve heard.
I have always admired the guy though, he plays the part of a psychopath so well
---
### Author:  [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2003, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-gary-busey/183617/7 "2003-06-23T01:47:30Z")
What happened to his being a born-again Bible thumper? In 2000, he made a straight-to-video movie about the Rapture, called[Tribulation](http://us.imdb.com/Details?0202236), and about a year or so ago I saw him on TBN talking about how had found Jesus and was leaving showbiz to become a preacher.
---
### Author:  [@rexnervous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rexnervous)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-gary-busey/183617/8 "2003-06-23T02:12:29Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by gobear \*
> \*\*What happened to his being a born-again Bible thumper? In 2000, he made a straight-to-video movie about the Rapture, called[Tribulation](http://us.imdb.com/Details?0202236), and about a year or so ago I saw him on TBN talking about how had found Jesus and was leaving showbiz to become a preacher. \*\*
Well, then the drugs wore off…
---
### Author:  [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2003, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-gary-busey/183617/9 "2003-06-23T02:22:41Z")
Maybe Jesus doesn’t pay as well as Comedy Central.
---
### Author:  [@thatDDperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thatDDperson)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-gary-busey/183617/10 "2003-06-23T03:35:24Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by pool \*
> \*\*didnt he used to use a lot of heroin or something at least thats what I’ve heard.
> I have always admired the guy though, he plays the part of a psychopath so well \*\*
It was cocaine. He’s also had cancer.
The current issue of Esquire has a 2/3 page filler called ‘Gary Busey’s Guide to Manhood’. Lovely photo of Busey, looking ever so much like he’s pulling a wedgie out of his skivvies.
July Esquire, with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s picture on the front.
Ol’ Gar seems to be about two bricks shy of a load, but he’s still rattling around.
---
### Author:  [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2003, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-gary-busey/183617/11 "2003-06-23T04:50:28Z")
After seeing that first episode, I have to wonder whether it was Busey’s idea to have a scene in drag in _Under Siege_. He does not make an attractive woman.
---
### Author:  [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2003, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-gary-busey/183617/12 "2003-06-23T05:09:41Z")
He almost ran me over with his car once.
I had to deliver a script to someone on the Paramount lot. I left my car in serf parking and headed on foot to the main compound, then a car zoomed around a corner way too fast…Well, actually, “almost ran me over” isn’t strictly true, since he swerved to avoid me, but he was irritated enough at having had to do so that he yelled “wench”.
I didn’t like him as Buddy Holly, and I formed that opinion years before the above incident. Holly was very easygoing and gentlemanly; Busey seemed to think he was playing Jerry Lee Lewis. (Heck, he **should** have; he’d have been more suited to that role than Dennis Quaid was!)
---
### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2003, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-gary-busey/183617/13 "2003-06-23T07:29:20Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Baldwin \*
> \*\*After seeing that first episode, I have to wonder whether it was Busey’s idea to have a scene in drag in _Under Siege_. He does not make an attractive woman. \*\*
At this point, he doesn’t make an attractive _man_. His son is hella hot, though.
---
### Author:  [@Tertius01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tertius01)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2003, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-gary-busey/183617/14 "2003-06-23T08:20:17Z")
My friend describes him thusly:
Where Ozzy is totally out of it, Busey is totally out of it AND a little nuts.
This makes for great entertainment for college aged boys.