Gary Busey

Actor Gary Busey was born on June 29, 1944 in Goose Creek, Texas. He made his film debut in 1971's biker epic "Angels Hard as They Come." You might remember him as the assassin "Mr. Joshua" in "Lethal Weapon" with Mel Gibson, or as the maniacal Naval officer in Under Siege with Steven Seagal. In 1978 Gary strapped on a guitar to play the title role (and actually perform his own songs) in The Buddy Holly Story, for which he earned an Oscar nomination. In 1988, Busey suffered severe skull fractures in a motorcycle accident. He had not been wearing a helmet and at first doctors feared that he had suffered permanent brain damage. When Busey eventually recovered from hitting the curb at 45 miles per hour, he vividly described leaving his body and going to the afterlife. Gary talked about being lectured by angels who spoke in thought with androgynous voices. After he was discharged from the hospital, Busey spoke out against rules requiring motorcycle helmets be worn and said he would continue to ride without wearing a helmet. He has since reversed his position on helmets.