Boardwalk Empire Actor Steve Buscemi Punched in the Face on New York City Street
He was treated for bruising, swelling, and bleeding in his left eye.
Steve Buscemi, the actor who previously starred in HBO's Boardwalk Empire, was punched in the face in a random attack in Manhattan last week.
As reported by The New York Times, the assault occurred on the morning of Wednesday, May 8, while the 66-year-old actor was out walking near the corner of Third Avenue and East 27th Street in the Kips Bay neighborhood of New York City. He was taken to a nearby hospital with bruising, swelling, and bleeding to his left eye.
"He is OK and appreciates everyone's well wishes, though incredibly sad for everyone that this has happened to [him] while also walking the streets of New York.
"Steve Buscemi was assaulted in Midtown Manhattan, another victim of a random act of violence in the city," Buscemi's publicist said in a statement shared with the public on May 12. "He is OK and appreciates everyone's well wishes, though incredibly sad for everyone that this has happened to [him] while also walking the streets of New York."
The New York Police Department has confirmed there have been no arrests related to the attack, and investigations are continuing.
The attack on Buscemi follows a similar incident in April with his Boardwalk Empire co-star Michael Stuhlbarg, who was hit in the back of the neck with a rock while walking in Manhattan's Central Park. Stuhlbarg chased the assailant out of the park, where police apprehended him and later charged him with assault.
Fellow actor Michael Rapaport joined several others in speaking out about these attacks. "Steve is the salt of the earth," he wrote on X/Twitter shortly after news of Buscemi's assault came to light. "A former firefighter who worked onsite 9/11, great artist, and easily one of the kindest and most generous people you could meet."
Buscemi served as a New York City firefighter in the early '80s before pursuing an acting career. He has starred in several movies, including Reservoir Dogs, Fargo, and The Big Lebowski. He also played Enoch "Nucky" Thompson in Boardwalk Empire, Anthony "Tony B" Blundetto on The Sopranos, and will star on Wednesday Season 2.
Photo by John Nacion/Getty Images.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X/Twitter @AdeleAnkers.
