Editing Steve Buscemi (section)

===1985–1989: Early roles ===
Before making his film debut, Buscemi was a regular live [[performance art|performer]] at the [[Pyramid Club (New York City)|Pyramid Cocktail Lounge]] and other downtown [[no wave]] venues; for many years performing comic skits with [[Mark Boone Junior]]. In 1988 they presented as a duo called Buscemi and Boone an evening of original [[black comedy]] at [[La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club]] that they called ''In Your Mind'', with one extended playlet titled ''Two Americans in Paris''. ''Two Americans in Paris'' was set in [[Paris]] in the 1960s and portrayed manipulative confrontations between two young American men in a [[bistro]].<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/16/theater/stage-buscemi-and-boone.html] New York Times: Stage: Buscemi and Boone by Stephen Holden, Feb. 16, 1988</ref> Prominent solo performances were given in [[John Jesurun]]'s ''Chang in a Void Moon'' series, as well as appearing in an adaptation of [[William Shakespeare]]'s play ''[[Titus Andronicus]]'', directed by [[Kęstutis Nakas]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-11 |title="We Started a Nightclub": The Birth of the Pyramid Cocktail Lounge as Told by Those Who Lived It |url=https://someseriousbusiness.org/product/pyramid-cocktail-lounge/ |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=Some Serious Business |language=en-US}}</ref> Buscemi made his film debut in the 1985 film ''[[The Way It Is (film)|The Way It Is or Eurydice in the Avenues]]'', directed by [[Eric Mitchell (filmmaker)|Eric Mitchell]], which was part of the [[no wave cinema]] movement. Other early performances include a role in the [[Christine Vachon]]-directed short ''Days Are Numbered'' (1986),<ref>https://indiecollect.org/restoration/days-are-numbered/</ref> ''[[Parting Glances]]'' (1986) as well as an appearance in an episode of the [[television series]] ''[[Miami Vice]]'' in 1986.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Wood|first1=Jenner M.|title=27 Actors Who Got Their Starts on Miami Vice|url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/53279/27-actors-who-got-their-starts-miami-vice|website=[[Mental Floss]]|access-date=February 29, 2016|date=October 22, 2013|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303111950/http://mentalfloss.com/article/53279/27-actors-who-got-their-starts-miami-vice|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1989, he appeared in four films, including [[James Ivory]]'s comedy ''[[Slaves of New York]]'', [[Howard Brookner]]'s ensemble period film ''[[Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989 film)|Bloodhounds of Broadway]]'' and the ''[[New York Stories]]'' segment directed by [[Martin Scorsese]] entitled, "Life Lessons" starring alongside [[Nick Nolte]] and [[Rosanna Arquette]]. The film screened out of competition at the [[1989 Cannes Film Festival]] to mixed reviews with the Scorsese segment being hailed as the standout by [[Roger Ebert]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/new-york-stories-1989|title= Reviews - New York Stories|website= Rogerebert.com|access-date= May 17, 2021|archive-date= December 27, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201227045146/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/new-york-stories-1989|url-status= live}}</ref> Buscemi also appeared in [[Jim Jarmusch]]'s independent film ''[[Mystery Train (film)|Mystery Train]]'' (1989) as Charlie the Barber, and was nominated for the [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spiritawards.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/SA_Nomswinners.pdf|date=2011|title=2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards|work=[[Film Independent Spirit Awards]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422005611/http://www.spiritawards.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/SA_Nomswinners.pdf|archive-date=April 22, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref>