"I don't know how to say my own name" - Steve Buscemi jokes about everyone getting his name wrong for years

Boardwalk Empire alum Steve Buscemi, who recently appeared on The Tonight Show, hosted by Jimmy Fallon, opened up about how everyone mispronounces his name. The 67-year-old senior actor first talked about his interesting cameo in the critically acclaimed Apple TV original series, The Studio. Steve Buscemi discussed the scene in which the cast debates over how his surname is pronounced.

Steve Buscemi appeared on one of the latest episodes of Jimmy Fallon's The Tonight Show to discuss his new role in the hit Netflix series Wednesday, as he joins the cast. Buscemi joined the cast as the new principal of Nevermore Academy, Barry Dort. Wednesday season 2 was released in two parts; while the first installment was released on August 6, 2025, the second installment was released on September 3, 2025.

During their conversation, while talking about the scene in The Studio regarding the pronunciation of Steve's name, Fallon said:

"At one point they said 'Bruscemi,' like 'bruschetta.'"

To which Steve Buscemi replied:

"I don't like that one. You know, Buscemi, I like that," the actor added, enunciating as "Boo-shemi".

When Fallon clarified by saying:

"But it's not, right?"

The Fargo actor said:

"Well, that is the Italian way to say it. But I just didn't grow up that way. Growing up, we said 'Bue-semi,' which is like, I can't even do that anymore. So now I say 'Boo-semi.'" He takes "a little bit from each pronunciation".

He quipped:

"I don't know how to say my own name."

The Reservoir Dogs actor, Steve Buscemi, shared with Fallon that back in the day, when he was a stand-up comedian, he simply went by "Buce". He told Jimmy:

"You can imagine the fun the emcees had with that."

Steve Buscemi opened up about how he felt "intimidated" to join the Wednesday cast

During his conversation with Jimmy Fallon, the Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor, Buscemi, talked about how he felt "intimidated" to join the cast of the hit show, Wednesday, as the evil principal Barry Dort, despite previously working with Tim Burton and Jenna Ortega. He said:

"Before I knew I was going to be in the second season, I loved the first season. Everyone was great ... but still, you come into something that's so well established and that people love, it is a little intimidating."

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