Did you know this story about Steve Buscemi and 9/11?

Steve Buscemi will always be remembered for his eccentric and sometimes evil characters in Tarantino films and other projects. However, like many other actors, he has more accomplishments in his life...

Not many people know that Steve Buscemi worked as a fireman in the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) between 1980 and 1984 before becoming an actor. The actor worked in Engine 55 which was located in the Little Italy district.

It wasn't long, but in the time the actor spent working there, he made really good friends and relationships that he kept after becoming a famous Hollywood star.

Many years later, on the terrorist attack against the Twin Towers of The World Trade Center in New York on that terrible 9/11 day, Buscemi knew exactly what he had to do to help: volunteer in his old firefighter post.

As a former fireman, he was aware of how many forces of the New York department were working there and the magnitude of what they had to deal with.

That's why in an act of bravery, Steve Buscemi didn't hesitate to travel to the area to help, even though he knew he was risking his life, as he admits in an HBO documentary.

The documentary was 'A Good Job: Stories of the FDNY' which was released in 2014 by HBO and was directed by Liz Garbus and produced by Moxie Firecracker Films.

In the documentary, Buscemi described what working in the Fire Department of the city of New York really looks like. Through different experiences of retired and active firefighters, we are able to see what goes on in one of the most demanding fire departments in the world.

Although back in 2001 several media and reporters tried to contact the actor, the 2014 documentary was the first time Steve Buscemi spoke about 9/11 and his involvement in aiding New York firefighters.

In the documentary, Steve Buscemi states: "It was a privilege to be able to do it. It was great to connect with the firehouse I used to work with and with some of the guys I worked alongside. And it was enormously helpful for me because while I was working, I didn't really think about it as much, feel it as much."

It was a traumatic and shocking experience for the United States and the entire world, but especially for Buscemi who after living it firsthand said it took a week for him to even digest it. However, he explains that: "It would have been much harder for me to go through that experience if I hadn't been able to help my brothers."

The actor has spoken about his experience in other documentaries like 'NYC Epicenters: 9/11 2021½' in 2021, a docuseries of four episodes also released on HBO and directed by Spike Lee.

During the week he spent helping the firefighters of New York, the actor worked 12-hour shifts excavating through the rubble looking for survivors. But the actor also witnessed how five members of the department died, being one of them one of his old workmates.

In 2021, 20 years after the tragedy, Buscemi revealed that he had suffered Post Traumatic Syndrome as a consequence of the week he worked at the World Trade Center site.

After that experience, although the actor has never worn the suit again, Buscemi has found ways to collaborate with the Fire Department. For example, the actor helped to raise funds for the victims and the department after another tragedy took place: Hurricane Sandy.

Furthermore, in 2003, the actor was arrested for protesting against the closure of one of the firefighter engines in the city of New York.

Steve Buscemi has let us discover his most solidary side helping different causes but especially the victims of 9/11. In 2012, the actor hosted the Annual Charity Day in favor of 100 charity organizations.

One year before, in 2011, he was also part of the Old St. Patrick church service in New York in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attack and in honor of the 343 firefighters who passed away.

The actor has always been present in any acts related to the FDNY and we could see him at the funeral of Michael Davidson, a veteran of the department that dedicated 15 years to the force but who sadly passed away in an act of service in 2018 during a fire in Harlem.

It's no surprise that in 2014 due to all his work and collaboration, Buscemi was named Honorary Battalion Chief by the Honorary Fire Officers Association of New York.

Today, Steve Buscemi is still a successful Hollywood star with premieres and new projects. But in the city of New York, the actor will always be remembered for his invaluable collaboration with the FDNY.