In the story, Jim (Casey Affleck) returns to Indiana after failing to make it in New York. Once back home, he instantly remembers exactly why he wanted to escape his hometown in the first place.
Steve Buscemi Explains His Attraction to Lonesome Jim: “It’s the characters and this whole family, where they’re each in their own world and it’s hard for them to communicate. I just found the whole story funny. I really liked the humor in it. The comedy came from these dark places. I was tempted to call it a comedy about depression, but I don’t think they would have let me get away with that.”
Relating to His Lead Character: Buscemi said he definitely could relate to Jim. “Yeah, absolutely. He’s a guy that tried to do his thing in New York. I think anybody who moves to New York to try and be an actor, a musician, a writer, what have you, can relate to that experience, and feeling overwhelmed by it. In my case, I was lucky because my parents only lived a half an hour away in Long Island. So I give a lot of credit to anyone who comes from the mid-West, like Indiana, because New York can be a really intimidating place.
I like the conflict that the script had with this character who goes home, against his better judgment, because he feels so misunderstood by his family, and he knows he’s going to get grief from them. But yet, that’s the place that he goes because he can be himself. The first thing he does, when he walks through the door, is that he breaks down. That’s probably been bottled up in him, while he was in New York, but he could never feel comfortable enough to just do that.”
The Casting Process: Buscemi was able to get everyone he wanted for Lonesome Jim. “Casey [Affleck] was involved very early on. Since he is the most important character, we built the rest of the cast around him. But we got everybody that we thought of, like Kevin Corrigan. Liv Tyler was on a very short list of people that we thought of, and we got the script to her very quickly because we know her. I know her and Casey knows her. She said yes immediately and that was it. It was like, ‘Good, she’s in.’
I did not know Mary Kay Place. My wife suggested her. Of course, I’ve loved her work for years, so when my wife said her name, I thought, ‘Yeah.’ For me, the search was over. I just had to offer her the part. And, luckily, she accepted. And then I’ve worked with Mark Boone Jr and Kevin and Seymour Cassel, so it was nice to bring in people whose work I know so well, and they’re friends, and who I knew would really deliver.”
Choosing Projects to Direct: As an actor, Steve Buscemi’s often cast as the unsavory, unlikable guy but as a director, the projects he takes on have quite the opposite tone. Asked about that interesting dichotomy, Buscemi said, “As an actor, I think I’ve played lots of different types of roles. I don’t necessarily gravitate toward anything, except characters that have a lot going on, or that are complicated, or writer-directors that I like and have been fortunate enough to work with. And so, with directing, I can afford to be a little choosier because I don’t make my living directing. I’ve always liked character-driven films. Those are the films that I like to act in, and those are the films that I’d like to be involved with as a director.”
On Returning to Direct The Sopranos: “Even before I was on the show, I had directed a couple episodes. I know a lot of the actors and have worked with them before. I think it’s just that the more I do it, the more at ease I become there. I guess having acted on the show for a season, you do feel like you’re more a part of the family. When I first did it, you definitely feel like an outsider. The director is the outsider, especially when you’re a new director. They have directors there that usually direct a few episodes a year, so I feel fortunate that I get to do at least one, since the third season.”
Buscemi’s character was killed off last season and was brought back in a dream sequence this year. Buscemi admits that returning to act out that scene was bittersweet. “Yeah, it was just one night. I always love working on that show, no matter if it’s directing or acting. I love working with Jimmy [Gandolfini]. I think I was more conscious of the fact that it probably won’t happen again for a long time, so I think I did savor the moment a little bit more. But once you’re in the scene, you don’t really think about that. You just concentrate on the work.”
