Biography

Part of a burgeoning "second generation" of Hollywood actors, Jake Busey, the long-limbed son of Gary Busey, established himself as a reliable character actor in the 1990s. Though he made his film debut at age five in Straight Time (1978), Busey had no plans to become an actor until he took a drama class "on a whim" while attending Santa Barbara College. Busey spent three years auditioning before he finally broke through in the early '90s. Despite the slow start, Busey worked steadily throughout the decade, alternating between small roles in high profile studio movies, including I'll Do Anything (1994) and Twister (1996), and more substantial parts in smaller films, such as S.F.W. (1994) and Tail Lights Fade (1999). Busey starred a member of the gung ho young battalion in Paul Verhoeven's ironic, effects-laden science fiction adventure Starship Troopers (1997), but he was back to supporting duties in big movies when he and the more diminutive second generationer Scott Caan were paired as government assassins in Enemy of the State (1998). Happy to do more than dodge special effects, Busey played Luke Wilson's bully older brother in the romantic comedy Home Fries (1998) and co-starred with Jamie Foxx in the crime comedy Held Up (2000). Busey's foray into series TV as the laid-back Dennis on UPN's Shasta McNasty (1999) proved short-lived. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

Filmography

Identity (2003) .... Robert Maine
Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting, The (2003) (V) .... The Hitcher
Death From Above: The Making of 'Starship Troopers' (2002) (V) .... Himself
Lost Junction (2002) .... Matt
First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest, The (2002) .... Darrell
Fast Sofa (2001) .... Rick
Tomcats (2001) .... Kyle
Tail Lights Fade (1999) .... Bruce
Held Up (1999) .... Beaumont
"Shasta McNasty" (1999) TV Series .... Dennnis
... aka "Shasta" (2000) (USA: second season title)
Enemy of the State (1998) .... Krug
Black Cat Run (1998) (TV) .... Deputy Norm Babbitt
Home Fries (1998) .... Angus Montier
Starship Troopers (1997) .... Pvt. Ace Levy
Quiet Days in Hollywood (1997) .... Curt
... aka Way We Are, The (1997)
Contact (1997) .... Joseph
Frighteners, The (1996) .... Johnny Bartlett
... aka Frighteners (1997) (UK)
... aka Robert Zemeckis Presents: The Frighteners (1996) (USA: complete title)
Twister (1996) .... Mobile Lab Technician
Windrunner (1995) .... Dave Promisco
Foot Shooting Party, The (1994)
Stöned Age, The (1994) .... Jimmy Muldoon
... aka Tack's Chicks (1994)
S.F.W. (1994) .... Morrow Streeter
Motorcycle Gang (1994) (TV) .... Jake
PCU (1994) .... Mersh
... aka PCU Pit Party (1994)
I'll Do Anything (1994) .... Burke's Fired Driver
Shimmer (1993) .... Richard Halverson
Cruel Doubt (1992) (TV)
Hider in the House (1989) (TV) (voice) .... Teenage Tom
Barbarosa (1982) .... Cook Boy
Straight Time (1978) .... Henry Darin