Want to know the best Gary Busey movies? How about the worst Gary Busey movies? Curious about Gary Busey box office grosses or which Gary Busey movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Gary Busey movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences and which got the worst reviews? Well, you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.
Gary Busey (1944-) is an Osca®-nominated American actor. Busey has been a very very busy character actor. His IMDb page shows over 175 acting credits since 1967. This page will rank Gary Busey movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. Television shows, shorts, cameos, uncredited roles, and movies that were not released in North American were not included in the rankings. Many of his low budget, straight to home entertainment movies did not make the following tables.
Gary Busey Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews and awards.
Gary Busey Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies any way you want.
- Sort Gary Busey movies by his co-stars
- Sort Gary Busey movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost.
- Sort Gary Busey movies by domestic yearly box office rank
- Sort Gary Busey movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations and how many Oscar® wins each Gary Busey movie received.
- Sort Gary Busey movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
Possibly Interesting Facts About Gary Busey
1. William Gary Busey was born in Goose Creek, Texas, in 1944.
2. Gary Busey attended Pittsburg State University on a football scholarship. He transferred to Oklahoma State University when he became interested in acting. He quit school just one class short of graduation.
3. Gary Busey has black belts in all of the following martial arts: budo-jujitsu, capoeira, hapkido, “Jailhouse Rock” and kendo.
4. Gary Busey and his actor-son Jake Busey are licensed pilots, having been trained at a flight school next-door to the Santa Monica airport.
5. Gary Busey has published an autobiography: “Busey-isms“.
Check out Gary Busey’s career compared to current and classic actors. Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.
Academy Award® and Oscar® are the registered trademarks of the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences. Emmy®, Tony® and Golden Globe® are also registered trademarks.
Love him in Lethal Weapon and Point Break. One of the better character actors.
Hey Taylor….thanks for checking out our Gary Busey page. I liked him in Lethal Weapon and Point Break. Good comment.
Gary Busey at the UMR nice. Always watchable in the few films I’ve seen him in.
I’ve seen 11 of the 37 films on the chart. Favorites are – Lethal Weapon, Point Break, Under Siege, Silver Bullet, Predator 2, Soldier, Thunderbolt & Lightfoot and The Firm.
I haven’t seen A Star is Born, which tops the box office chart or Straight Time, which is no.1 on the critics chart. But the top 3 on the UMR chart are favorites.
Good work Bruce. Vote Up!
Hey Steve….thanks for the thoughts on Gary Busey. Tally count: Cogerson 23, Steve 11 and Bob 7. Of your favorites…I have seen them all and liked or loved all of them. Silver Bullet would be the weakest of the group…but that is still a fun movie to watch. Straight Time is a gritty thriller with an excellent Dustin Hoffman role…..if you like Hoffman you will probably like it. As for A Star is Born….it was ok….with Kristofferson outacting Barbra. Thanks for the visit and the comment.
Gary apparently passed away before his career started (1944-1964).
Wasn’t Gary involved some serious motorcycle accident because he didn’t believe in wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. Gary is # 346 on the 2020 Oracle of Bacon list. These are the other actors on the list he has appeared with.
15 DAVID CARRADINE Blizhniy Boy: The Ultimate Fighter (2007)
15 DAVID CARRADINE Down ‘n Dirty (2001)
15 DAVID CARRADINE Homo Erectus (2007)
15 DAVID CARRADINE The Rage (1997)
15 DAVID CARRADINE You and Me (1975)
16 DENNIS HOPPER Carried Away (1996)
16 DENNIS HOPPER Chasers (1994)
17 MICHAEL MADSEN Chasing Ghosts (2005)
17 MICHAEL MADSEN Detour (1998)
17 MICHAEL MADSEN Man with a Gun (1995)
17 MICHAEL MADSEN Rough Draft (1998)
23 ROD STEIGER Livers Ain’t Cheap (1996)
23 ROD STEIGER Lolly-Madonna XXX (1973)
23 ROD STEIGER The Player (1992)
26 MALCOLM MCDOWELL The Player (1992)
28 RUTGER HAUER Surviving the Game (1994)
31 ROBERT DUVALL Let’s Get Harry (1986)
35 ELLIOTT GOULD The Player (1992)
45 GEORGE KENNEDY Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
47 JOHN RHYS-DAVIES Canvas (1992)
47 JOHN RHYS-DAVIES South Beach (1993)
48 JOHNNY DEPP Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
49 FRANK WELKER Dirty Little Billy (1972)
51 BRUCE WILLIS The Player (1992)
52 NED BEATTY The Last American Hero (1973)
56 SUSAN SARANDON The Player (1992)
57 HARRY DEAN STANTON Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
57 HARRY DEAN STANTON Straight Time (1978)
57 HARRY DEAN STANTON The Bear (1984)
61 BURT REYNOLDS The Player (1992)
68 JOHN CARRADINE Hex (1973)
75 LIAM NEESON ENTOURAGE (2015)
76 DEAN STOCKWELL Chasers (1994)
76 DEAN STOCKWELL The Player (1992)
77 JOHN SAVAGE Fallacy (2004)
77 JOHN SAVAGE Shut Up and Shoot! (2006)
78 GENE HACKMAN The Firm (1993)
79 BRUCE MCGILL Black Sheep (1996)
80 MARTIN LANDAU ENTOURAGE (2015)
84 BRUCE DERN The Hard Easy (2005)
85 F. MURRAY ABRAHAM Surviving the Game (1994)
89 DANNY TREJO Bulletproof (1988)
89 DANNY TREJO Chasing Ghosts (2005)
92 BRAD DOURIF El padrino (2004)
101 M. EMMET WALSH Straight Time (1978)
107 MICKEY ROONEY My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys (1991)
109 ED HARRIS The Firm (1993)
110 JEFF BRIDGES Lolly-Madonna XXX (1973)
110 JEFF BRIDGES The Last American Hero (1973)
110 JEFF BRIDGES Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
111 STACY KEACH El padrino (2004)
116 TIM ROBBINS The Player (1992)
120 CLINT EASTWOOD Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
121 WHOOPI GOLDBERG The Player (1992)
124 ROBERT WAGNER El padrino (2004)
124 ROBERT WAGNER The Player (1992)
134 ERIC ROBERTS Blizhniy Boy: The Ultimate Fighter (2007)
134 ERIC ROBERTS Border Blues (2004)
134 ERIC ROBERTS Two Shades of Blue (1999)
138 FAYE DUNAWAY El padrino (2004)
146 ROBERT FORSTER South Beach (1993)
149 JEFF GOLDBLUM The Player (1992)
151 ANJELICA HUSTON The Player (1992)
153 MAURY CHAYKIN Jacob Two Two Meets the Hooded Fang (1999)
155 SCOTT GLENN Angels Hard as They Come (1971)
155 SCOTT GLENN Hex (1973)
155 SCOTT GLENN My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys (1991)
155 SCOTT GLENN The Player (1992)
157 GRETA SCACCHI The Player (1992)
158 SHELLEY WINTERS Wild in the Streets (1968)
160 JULIA ROBERTS The Player (1992)
161 ROBERT LOGGIA Lost Highway (1997)
161 ROBERT LOGGIA Man with a Gun (1995)
164 NICK NOLTE Dirty Little Billy (1972)
164 NICK NOLTE The Player (1992)
167 KRIS KRISTOFFERSON A Star Is Born (1976)
168 JAMES HONG Ghost Rock (2004)
168 JAMES HONG Latin Dragon (2004)
171 MEL GIBSON Lethal Weapon (1987)
174 DANNY GLOVER Lethal Weapon (1987)
174 DANNY GLOVER Predator 2 (1990)
177 KATHY BATES Straight Time (1978)
186 DAVID STRAITHAIRN The Firm (1993)
191 PETER FONDA South Beach (1993)
194 CHARLES DURNING Descansos (2006)
196 CLORIS LEACHMAN Foolin’ Around (1980)
198 JOHN CUSACK The Player (1992)
207 JEFF COREY Surviving the Game (1994)
210 TOMMY LEE JONES Under Siege (1992)
221 SEYMOUR CASSEL Chasers (1994)
221 SEYMOUR CASSEL Eye of the Tiger (1986)
223 JAMES COBURN The Player (1992)
229 KURT RUSSELL Soldier (1998/I)
231 DUSTIN HOFFMAN Straight Time (1978)
234 RANDY QUAID Lolly-Madonna XXX (1973)
235 KEITH CARRADINE Hex (1973)
235 KEITH CARRADINE You and Me (1975)
236 PAUL SORVINO The Firm (1993)
237 PETER FALK The Player (1992)
241 GEOFFREY LEWIS Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
244 ED LAUTER Dirty Little Billy (1972)
244 ED LAUTER Lolly-Madonna XXX (1973)
244 ED LAUTER The Last American Hero (1973)
244 ED LAUTER The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972)
247 RICHARD E. GRANT The Player (1992)
250 BILLY ZANE Valley of the Wolves: Iraq (2006)
252 KEANU REEVES Point Break (1991)
253 RANCE HOWARD A Crack in the Floor (2001)
253 RANCE HOWARD Ghost Rock (2004)
256 BILL PAXTON Predator 2 (1990)
265 HENRY SILVA Bulletproof (1988)
265 HENRY SILVA South Beach (1993)
267 TOM SIZEMORE No Rules (2005)
267 TOM SIZEMORE Point Break (1991)
267 TOM SIZEMORE Shut Up and Shoot! (2006)
272 TOM BERENGER Chasers (1994)
274 DAN HEDAYA Rookie of the Year (1993)
276 MIRANDA RICHARDSON Jacob Two Two Meets the Hooded Fang (1999)
278 JASON ISAACS Soldier (1998/I)
281 VINCENT D’ONOFRIO The Player (1992)
282 BILL PULLMAN Lost Highway (1997)
286 TOM CRUISE The Firm (1993)
300 JOE PANTOLIANO Canvas (2006)
307 TOM ARNOLD Homo Erectus (2007)
310 JACK LEMMON The Player (1992)
311 SCOTT WILSON Lolly-Madonna XXX (1973)
324 WILLIAM H. MACY Foolin’ Around (1980)
362 DAVID ALAN GRIER The Player (1992)
382 JUDY GREER ENTOURAGE (2015)
385 EDDIE ALBERT Foolin’ Around (1980)
392 KAREN BLACK The Player (1992)
396 ROY SCHEIDER Plato’s Run (1997)
396 ROY SCHEIDER The Rage (1997)
405 HAL HOLBROOK Carried Away (1996)
405 HAL HOLBROOK The Firm (1993)
405 HAL HOLBROOK Wild in the Streets (1968)
411 JENNIFER TILLY El padrino (2004)
411 JENNIFER TILLY Man with a Gun (1995)
412 RICHARD RIEHLE Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
421 BILLY BOB THORNTON ENTOURAGE (2015)
423 BO HOPKINS A Crack in the Floor (2001)
425 MARK WAHLBERG ENTOURAGE (2015)
426 JODIE FOSTER Carny (1980)
428 PAM GRIER No Tomorrow (1999)
436 BARBARA HERSHEY You and Me (1975)
441 TERI GARR The Player (1992)
445 JAMES GAMMON Silver Bullet (1985)
449 MICHAEL MCKEAN Hider in the House (1989)
456 BEN STILLER HOMO ERECTUS (2007)
459 ROBERT DAVI Predator 2 (1990)
460 KIM CATTRALL Breaking Point (1994)
466 CHARLES NAPIER Down ‘n Dirty (2001)
473 TONY CURTIS Insignificance (1985)
477 LIN SHAYE Homo Erectus (2007)
487 FRED WARD Carny (1980)
487 FRED WARD The Player (1992)
493 HOLLY HUNTER THE FIRM (1993)
500 WILLIAM FORSYTHE G-Men from Hell (2000)
513 JIM BROWN On the Edge (2002)
529 MARCIA GAY HARDEN Canvas (2006)
532 DUB TAYLOR My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys (1991)
532 DUB TAYLOR Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
548 WESLEY SNIPES Drop Zone (1994)
559 RICHARD SCHIFF ENTOURAGE (2015)
572 SALLY KELLERMAN The Player (1992)
574 CHARLES S. DUTTON SURVIVING THE GAME (1994)
578 DEBI MAZAR ENTOURAGE (2015)
583 DAVID ARQUETTE ENTOURAGE (2015)
588 LOUISE FLETCHER The Player (1992)
591 CARY-HIROYUKI TAGAWA BLIZHNIY BOY: THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER (2007)
591 CARY-HIROYUKI TAGAWA BULLETPROOF (1988)
591 CARY-HIROYUKI TAGAWA FALLACY (2004)
593 BENICIO DEL TORO Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
615 CHRISTINA RICCI Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
617 GRACE ZABRISKIE Drop Zone (1994)
619 CAMERON DIAZ Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
621 COLLEEN CAMP The Gumball Rally (1976)
623 BRION JAMES The Player (1992)
626 BEN JOHNSON Let’s Get Harry (1986)
626 BEN JOHNSON My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys (1991)
637 VERA FARMIGA The Hard Easy (2005)
659 PATRICK SWAYZE Point Break (1991)
659 PATRICK SWAYZE The Player (1992)
678 GINA GERSHON The Player (1992)
690 CRISPIN GLOVER CHASERS (1994)
695 SALLY KIRKLAND A Star Is Born (1976)
695 SALLY KIRKLAND The Player (1992)
702 PAUL DOOLEY The Player (1992)
706 JEREMY PIVEN ENTOURAGE (2015)
706 JEREMY PIVEN The Player (1992)
718 GEORGE TAKAI ENTOURAGE (2015)
727 ROBERT RYAN Lolly-Madonna XXX (1973)
729 MATT CLARK Let’s Get Harry (1986)
737 LILY TOMLIN The Player (1992)
739 MICHAEL ROOKER Chasing Ghosts (2005)
760 LEE VAN CLEEF The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972)
761 WILFORD BRIMLEY THE FIRM (1993)
765 JOHN C. MCGINLEY Point Break (1991)
765 JOHN C. MCGINLEY Surviving the Game (1994)
787 ANDIE MACDOWELL The Player (1992)
799 COLM MEANEY Under Siege (1992)
803 PETER WELLER The Hard Easy (2005)
811 MICHAEL J. POLLARD Dirty Little Billy (1972)
835 BILL COBBS Man with a Gun (1995)
836 JAMES RUSSO Fallacy (2004)
836 JAMES RUSSO Shut Up and Shoot! (2006)
844 ELLEN BARKIN Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
848 MICHAEL PARE Warriors (1994)
863 MARGOT KIDDER Tribulation (2000)
870 RENE AUBERJONOIS The Player (1992)
878 RICHARD PORTNOW Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
884 PATRICIA ARQUETTE LOST HIGHWAY (1997)
885 DAVID KEITH Succubus: Hell Bent (2007)
921 KATHLEEN QUINLAN El padrino (2004)
922 THERESA RUSSELL Insignificance (1985)
922 THERESA RUSSELL Straight Time (1978)
925 MIMI ROGERS Hider in the House (1989)
925 MIMI ROGERS The Player (1992)
926 PATRICK O’NEAL Under Siege (1992)
928 YAPHET KOTTO Eye of the Tiger (1986)
934 RICHARD ANDERSON The Player (1992)
935 DALE DYE Under Siege (1992)
943 BERT REMSEN Carny (1980)
943 BERT REMSEN Eye of the Tiger (1986)
971 ROBERT ENGLUND A Star Is Born (1976)
971 ROBERT ENGLUND Big Wednesday (1978)
972 PEDRO ARMENDARIZ JR. The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972)
973 JOHN CANDY Rookie of the Year (1993)
993 FREDERIC FORREST Chasers (1994)
Gary worked with 28 Oscar winners.
ANJELICA HUSTON The Player (1992)
BARBRA STREISAND A Star Is Born (1976)
BEN JOHNSON Let’s Get Harry (1986)
BEN JOHNSON My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys (1991)
BENICIO DEL TORO Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
CHER The Player (1992)
CLORIS LEACHMAN Foolin’ Around (1980)
DUSTIN HOFFMAN Straight Time (1978)
F. MURRAY ABRAHAM Surviving the Game (1994)
FAYE DUNAWAY El padrino (2004)
GENE HACKMAN The Firm (1993)
GEORGE KENNEDY Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
HOLLY HUNTER THE FIRM (1993)
JACK LEMMON The Player (1992)
JAMES COBURN The Player (1992)
JEFF BRIDGES Lolly-Madonna XXX (1973)
JEFF BRIDGES The Last American Hero (1973)
JEFF BRIDGES Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
JODIE FOSTER Carny (1980)
JULIA ROBERTS The Player (1992)
KATHY BATES Straight Time (1978)
LOUISE FLETCHER The Player (1992)
MARTIN LANDAU ENTOURAGE (2015)
PATRICIA ARQUETTE LOST HIGHWAY (1997)
ROBERT DUVALL Let’s Get Harry (1986)
ROD STEIGER Livers Ain’t Cheap (1996)
ROD STEIGER Lolly-Madonna XXX (1973)
ROD STEIGER The Player (1992)
SHELLEY WINTERS Wild in the Streets (1968)
SUSAN SARANDON The Player (1992)
TIM ROBBINS The Player (1992)
TOMMY LEE JONES Under Siege (1992)
WHOOPI GOLDBERG The Player (1992)
Hey Dan….now this is back to your epic lists. You are correct, Busey had a very serious motorcycle accident. I have heard that might explain his somewhat strange off screen behavior. David Carradine earns the most frequent Oracle co-star honors with 5 movies….lots of people with 4 movies. Looking at the second list, 28 is above average considering the massive amount of movies he has made…but many of those movies are low budget movies that never got a theaterical release….thinking Oscar winners try to avoid those types of movies. Good stuff as always.
Hey Dan….good catch on my time error. Ever notice he looks a lot like Nick Nolte? Especially if you see him in Rookie of the Year.
1/On top of his hefty big screen filmography Gary has also had a massive television career from 1970 until 2018 beginning with an episode of the classic western series The High Chapparal. Wikipedia lists in detail 61 of his TV credits. Wiki also has him down for 5 video games made from 2002-2016.
2/IMDB credits Gary with 5 acting awards and 8 noms and Celeb Net Worth site has just completed this year a review of his earnings and reckons his current net worth is half a million dollars. That’s the lowest celeb net worth that I can recall seeing.
3/I have seen Gary in 7 movies: Big Wednesday; Lethal Weapon; Point Break; Predator 2; Under Siege; The Firm; and Drop Zone which contains my personal fave Busey performance.
4/Barbara Hale who is famous for playing Perry Mason’s television Della Street has a role in Big Wednesday as has her son William Katt [see Bruce’s links column above] by 1940s/50s B movies star Bill Williams – Blue Grass of Kentuckey/Clay Pigeon/The Pace that thrills. I used to watch Bill in those types of movies at our local “flea pit” on Saturday afternoons long ago. [With this new page you have once again triggered nostalgic memories for me Work Horse!]
5/In the pipeline for Gary are a comedy movie and a documentary film both at post-production stage awaiting a release schedule. Potentially for him at pre-production stage is a drama movie called Rabere about a struggle for survival in a shark-infested ocean and Gary is top-billed in the advance cast lists –
“A teenage girl is stranded out in the ocean in a Jon Boat, an ocean that is infested by sharks. Unknown to her there is something far more dangerous than sharks, something down deep below on the ocean bed that is following her.” I’m terrified already!
Hey Bob….thanks for the feedback on our Gary Busey page. Good information on his television roles, his acting awards and his net worth. As for his net worth…that is indeed a low total for somebody who has been famous for so long….but it is still more than many people. Tally count…7 for you….23 for me….including 19 of his Top 21. Glad our page triggered your Bill Williams, Barbara Hale, William Katt, Perry Mason and “flea pit” memories. One can only hope Rabere makes Jaws look like a children’s bedtime story….lol. Good stuff as always.