Hollywood actor Gary Busey (who catapulted to fame and picked up a Best Actor Oscar nomination in 1978 for his portrayal of Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story) will be making his Off-Broadway debut when he joins the cast of Perfect Crime, on November 21st.
This announcement, arriving from the most far-flung radius of left field, marks the first major celeb turn for the romantic whodunnit that has been courting theatregoers for three decades. (That is unless you take into account that the show’s female lead, Catherine Russell, is a star on her own, holding the record for never having missed a performance since the show opened in 1987.)
Busey, whose recent credits include the 2013 film Sharknado (2013, Academy Award nomination still pending) and appearances on From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series and Dancing With the Stars (2015), will be taking on the role of Lionel McAuley, a brilliant, charismatic serial killer.
Notes Executive Producer Armand Hyatt, “Our playwright Warren Manzi, who died earlier this year, would have been so thrilled that Gary is playing Lionel McAuley—it’s perfect casting.”
And Busey fans take note: Your window to see the guy who rocked the villainous Joshua role in the original Lethal Weapon in performances of Off-Broadway’s longest running play is a limited one. He’ll be leaving after two weeks on December 4th.