The latest on Steve Buscemi's street attack in New York

Steve Buscemi attacked and injured
Bruises and bloody eye
'Random act of violence'
Fell backward and ran away
Suspect on camera
'Incredibly sad for everyone'
String of assaults in New York
Victim of 'the knockout game'?
Boardwalk Empire
Cult movie star
Another actor attacked in New York
Michael Stuhlbarg in 'Boardwalk Empire'
Chased the assailant
NYC 'out of control'
'One of the kindest people you could meet'
'This calls for some Walter'
Steve Buscemi attacked and injured

Actor Steve Buscemi has been attacked on a Manhattan street in broad daylight. He had to go to the hospital with minor injuries. Strikingly, it's the second time in two months this has happened to an actor from the series 'Boardwalk Empire' in New York.

Bruises and bloody eye

Buscemi was walking in Midtown on Wednesday, May 8 around noon when a man passing by punched him in the face. He suffered bruises, swelling, and bleeding to his left eye, BBC reports.

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'Random act of violence'

According to the actor's publicist, the attack was a "random act of violence." There was no indication as to the motive of the assault.

Fell backward and ran away

A witness told the New York Post that he saw the actor seemingly "trip and fall backwards" due to the blow, before getting up and running away.

Suspect on camera

Police got an emergency call about a 66-year-old man getting punched in the face on Third Street in Midtown, Manhattan. They managed to get a profile and video images of the suspected assailant, which they spread to the media in search of the culprit.

Image: NYPD

'Incredibly sad for everyone'

The actor's publisher sent out a statement, cited by BBC, that said: "Steve Buscemi was... another victim of a random act of violence in the city. He is OK and appreciates everyone's well wishes, though incredibly sad for everyone that this has happened to while also walking the streets of New York."

String of assaults in New York

Using the words 'another' and 'also,' the publicist emphasized that it was not the first time someone was punched on the streets of Manhattan recently. As the Daily Mail reports, there has been "a string of assaults" in New York in the past months.

Victim of 'the knockout game'?

"These random punching attacks in New York City appeared to be part of a disturbing trend called the knockout game - where strangers punch random strangers in New York City with the intent of 'punching them unconscious,'" the paper added.

Boardwalk Empire

Steve Buscemi, a former Brooklyn firefighter and then an accomplished actor, won a Golden Globe for his leading role as a corrupt politician in Atlantic City in the series 'Boardwalk Empire.'

Image: HBO

Cult movie star

He's also known for cult classics 'Reservoir Dogs' (1992), 'Fargo' (1996 - image), and 'The Big Lebowski' (1998).

Another actor attacked in New York

Weeks before the attack on Steve Buscemi, on March 31, fellow 'Boardwalk Empire' actor Michael Stuhlbarg fell victim to a similar attack in New York City.

Michael Stuhlbarg in 'Boardwalk Empire'

In the case of Stuhlbarg, who played the gangster Arnold Rothstein in 'Boardwalk Empire,' the assailant was caught. The actor was jogging in Central Park when a homeless man threw a rock at him, hitting him in the back of the neck.

Chased the assailant

Stuhlberg, 55 years old, went after the man and chased him down East 91st Street, where he would be apprehended by the police. Though the actor had "minor injuries," the Daily Mail reports, he said he didn't need medical treatment and went home.

Image: Michael Stuhbarg is also known for his role of pharmacy mogul Richard Sackler in the Disney+ series 'Dopesick'.

NYC 'out of control'

After news broke of Buscemi's attack, fans reacted with outrage at the New York police for the series of assaults on its streets. They say the Big Apple is 'out of control' and 'not safe'. One of them wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "New York, get your s*** together."

'One of the kindest people you could meet'

The reactions to Steve Buscemi getting punched also showed how popular the actor is. Fans on X call him "a king" and a "national treasure." Among them is actor Michael Rapaport, who said Buscemi was a "hero of mine" as a "former firefighter who worked onsite 9/11, great artist, and easily one of the kindest and most generous people you could meet."

'This calls for some Walter'

One fan went as far as to say: "Has Goodman been called in? This calls for some Walter," referring to John Goodman's character in 'The Big Lebowski' - a rough Vietnam veteran who hangs out in a bowling alley with the two other protagonists, played by Jeff Bridges and Steve Buscemi.

 

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