Gary Busey Net Worth (Money & Salary)

Gary Busey’s net worth and salary: What are the figures?

An American film and stage actor, Gary Busey has a net worth estimated at $500 thousand. He gained fame primarily through his roles in films such as “The Buddy Holly Story,” “The Firm,” “Lost Highway,” “Point Break,” and “Black Sheep.” Additionally, he has made appearances on various television series, including “Gunsmoke,” “Walker, Texas Ranger,” “Law & Order,” and “Entourage.” His unpredictable nature has also made him a memorable participant on reality shows like “Celebrity Apprentice” (where he participated twice, in Seasons 4 and 6) and “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.”

Financial Difficulties

In 2008, reports surfaced indicating that Gary had faced eviction from his Malibu rental property due to alleged unpaid rent.

Unfortunately, Gary Busey has encountered considerable financial struggles. On February 6, 2012, he filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in California, disclosing debts exceeding $500,000. In his bankruptcy filings, Busey indicated that his real assets were valued at less than $50,000, while his total debts ranged from approximately $500,000 to $1 million, owed to various creditors including the IRS, Wells Fargo, UCLA Medical Center, and others.

Early Life Overview

On June 29, 1944, William Gary Busey was born in Goose Creek, Texas. During his fourth-grade year, his family relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma. He attended Bell Junior High School followed by Nathan Hale High School, later going on to a community college in Kansas before transferring to Pittsburg State University in Kansas on a football scholarship. Aspiring to be a professional football player, his dreams were cut short when he suffered a knee injury, causing him to lose his athletic scholarship. He then moved to Oklahoma State University but left just one class shy of earning his degree, during which time he developed an interest in acting.

Career Path

Busey’s journey in entertainment began in the 1960s and ’70s when he worked as a drummer in various bands, adopting the stage names “Teddy Jack Eddy” and “Sprunk.” His film debut came in 1974 with “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot,” where he played a supporting role alongside Clint Eastwood. Busey’s significant breakthrough happened in 1978 with “The Buddy Holly Story,” in which he portrayed the lead character and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. His performance also garnered him the Best Actor accolade from the National Society of Film Critics. During the 1980s, he appeared in numerous films such as “Silver Bullet,” “Insignificance,” “Barbarosa,” and “Bulletproof,” and also featured in the “Lethal Weapon” series as an antagonist to characters portrayed by Mel Gibson and Danny Glover.

Throughout the 1990s, Busey took part in several high-profile projects, including…

Some of the films featuring Busey include “Point Break,” “Predator 2,” “Under Siege,” “Rookie of the Year,” “The Firm,” and “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” In the 2000s, he was seen on the Comedy Central reality show “I’m With Busey,” provided his voice in an episode of “The Simpsons,” and acted in the television mini-series “Into the West,” in addition to various other TV and film roles. Furthermore, Busey lent his voice to the game “Grand Theft Auto.” He made an appearance in 2006 in the controversial Turkish nationalist film “Valley of the Wolves,” which faced accusations of being anti-Semitic, fascist, and anti-American. In 2007, he portrayed an even more eccentric version of himself in three episodes of the HBO series “Entourage.”

During the late 2000s, Busey became somewhat of a regular on several reality TV shows such as “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew,” “Celebrity Apprentice 4,” “Celebrity Apprentice 6,” “Celebrity Paranormal Project,” and “Celebrity Fit Club.” He made history in 2014 by being the first American to win the U.K. edition of “Celebrity Big Brother.” On the 21st season of “Dancing with the Stars” in 2015, he was a contestant, partnered with dancer Anna Trebunskaya, but they were eliminated in week four, finishing in 10th place.

In the summer of 2019, it was revealed that Busey would take on the role of God in the Off-Broadway musical “Only Human.”

In 2020, Busey featured in the Amazon Prime television show “Gary Busey: Pet Judge,” where he presides over a courtroom dealing with disputes among pet owners. This show is not reality-based; instead, it is scripted and cast with actors, delivering a mix of the bizarre and humorous as it promises.

Personal Life

Busey’s first marriage was to Judy Helkenberg, with whom he shares a son, Jake Busey, born in 1971 and now an actor like his father. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1990.

In addition, Busey has two other children: a daughter named Alectra from a previous relationship and a son named Luke, born in 2010 to his wife, Steffanie Sampson, who is a comedian and clinical hypnotherapist.

In 1988, Busey suffered grave injuries from a motorcycle accident. He was not wearing a helmet at the time, leading to a skull fracture. He briefly died during brain surgery conducted for a subdural hematoma sustained in the accident, claiming to have experienced spiritual revelations during this period. Despite doctors’ concerns that the crash caused enduring brain damage, Busey maintains that he does not believe he has any such damage.

A tumor, the size of a plum and cancerous, was removed from his sinuses in 1997.

He has no…

sinuses or tear ducts are affected by cancer.

During the 1980s and early 1990s, Busey struggled with a cocaine addiction. In May 1990, he experienced an overdose and asserts that he has refrained from cocaine use since that incident.

Real Estate

Malibu, California has been home to Gary Busey for many years. He is frequently spotted shopping for groceries and attending to daily activities in Malibu.