Most
every article I've read on Jake Busey mentions his long
struggle to establish himself as an actor outside of the
shadow of his father. The following interview is
typical:
"I
spent 2 1/2 years auditioning, and no one would ever hire
me," [Jake] says almost bitterly. "It was easy for
them to say, 'I don't want a young Gary Busey for this role.'
But I'm not a young Gary Busey."
Keeping
the sensitivity of this subject in mind, I shall begin my
introduction of Jake by comparing him to his father.
He
looks exactly like him. So much so it scares
me. Listen to the casting director for The
Frighteners (Victoria Burrows) describe him: "He has these very intense eyes, yet his smile is very
winning. He's the devil, but he's charming all at the same
time." Sounds eerily like my description of Gary,
huh?
Okay,
perhaps I shouldn't say that Jake looks exactly like
him. After extensive research, I've mathematically
calculated the resemblance (as shown below):
_
=
That's right, Gary Busey minus Nick Nolte
equals Jake Busey. In a
way you could consider that a distilling process, the removal
of Nolte elements. The result: pure Busey concentrate.
Is that too much Busey for one man? Only time will tell.
Okay,
it's time for the sad truth. As
much as I would like for things to be different, Jake is not
the same person as his father. Whereas Gary is something
of a spectacular failure -- a man whose life has never ceased
to be intensely dramatic in its highs and lows -- Jake is a
rather inane character. From what I know of it, his
personal life boasts no conquests or tragedies, and neither
does his career. Gary's charismatic
near-insanity exerts a powerful fascination with which the
sophomoric Jake can hardly contend. I really only find
Jake interesting inasmuch as he is the living ghost of a
younger Gary, and, sadly, he doesn't quite measure up to his
old man. He sure as hell looks like Gary, and he may
sometimes be 'zany,' but he wields
a mere portion of Gary's (perhaps drug-induced) unsettling
intensity. Sure, Jake's much more intense than most of
us, but he lacks the insanity and the mystical bent that makes
Gary such an enduring figure. One can only hope that the
Busey genes will kick in as he ages.
*
It has been brought to my attention that the last paragraph
was very wordy for no reason. Sorry. Let me
summarize: Jake looks like Gary but is not as crazy as Gary;
therefore, he's not as interesting as Gary. To summarize
with a table:
Jake:
Gary:
Looks
Intensity
Rational
Faculties
Result
Gary
- Nolte
off-putting
zany
Meh
Gary
makes
babies cry
nearly
insane
Allright!
Inside Jake Busey
Main Jake Page
Introduction to superstar film celebrity Gary Busey's son Jake, comparison to his father
Biography
The story of Jake Busey's life and a brief history of his career in movies and television
News and Timeline
Jake Busey's timeline from birth to the nearish present
Busey Pictures
Pictures of Gary and Jake as well as various and sundry other Buseys
Okay,
it's time for the sad truth. As
much as I would like for things to be different, Jake is not
the same person as his father. Whereas Gary is something
of a spectacular failure -- a man whose life has never ceased
to be intensely dramatic in its highs and lows -- Jake is a
rather inane character. From what I know of it, his
personal life boasts no conquests or tragedies, and neither
does his career. Gary's charismatic
near-insanity exerts a powerful fascination with which the
sophomoric Jake can hardly contend. I really only find
Jake interesting inasmuch as he is the living ghost of a
younger Gary, and, sadly, he doesn't quite measure up to his
old man. He sure as hell looks like Gary, and he may
sometimes be 'zany,' but he wields
a mere portion of Gary's (perhaps drug-induced) unsettling
intensity. Sure, Jake's much more intense than most of
us, but he lacks the insanity and the mystical bent that makes
Gary such an enduring figure. One can only hope that the
Busey genes will kick in as he ages.
