William Jacob Busey was born on 15 June 1971, in Los Angeles, California USA, to photographer Judy Lynn Helkenberg, and actor Gary Busey. He is is an actor, musician and film producer, probably best known for his roles in the films “Contact”, “Starship Troopers” and “Identity”, and in the television series “Shasta McNasty”.
So just how rich is Jake Busey at present? According to sources in mid-2016, Busey has earned a net worth of over $500,000, with his wealth having been acquired mostly through his involvement in the entertainment industry.
Jake Busey Net Worth $500,000
Busey grew up in Malibu, California; his parents divorced when he was a small child, but he still developed an interest in acting at an early age, spending most of his childhood years following his father on film sets – already at the age of five, his two hobbies were acting and playing drums. He attended Santa Barbara Community College, but dropped out after a year, and then took drama classes at Jimmy Best Program, following his father into show business.
Busey actually made his film debut at the age of six, playing Henry Darin in the 1978 “Straight Time”, starring his father and Dustin Hoffman. Throughout the ’80s and early ’90s he took minor parts in several films, such as “Barbarosa”, “Shimmer”, “S.F.W.”, “The Stoned Age”, “PCU”, “I’ll Do Anything” and “Twister”. More notable roles came in 1997, with the Jodie Foster film “Contact” in which Busey played the murderous religious fanatic Joseph, and “Starship Troopers”, in which he took the role of the soldier Ice Levy. His net worth was at its start.
In 2000 he took a main role in the crime comedy “Held Up”, along with Jamie Foxx. Another starring role came with the 2001 comedy “Tomcats”, in which he played bachelor Kyle Brenner. Several other film roles followed, among them one main television role in the UPN series “Shasta McNasty”. However, none of the projects proved to be box office successes. That changed in 2003, when the actor was cast as convict Robert Maine in James Mangold’s thriller “Identity”. The same year he appeared in the film “The Hitcher II: I’ve Been Waiting”, and in 2004 in the holiday comedy “Christmas with the Kranks”. Busey had established himself as a recognized figure in the film industry, and his net worth was considerably boosted.
Jake made his debut as a producer with the 2005 film “The Rain Maker”, in which he also had a small part. He was also a producer of the 2011 film “Cross”, in which he played the role of Backfire.
In the years since, Busey has appeared in a number of movies, including “Don’t Pass Me By”, “Sparks”, “Psych” and “Reaper”. His television credits include the series “From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series” and “Justified”, and the miniseries “Texas Rising”. His appearances now number almost 50 productions – all have helped his net worth.
Aside from his acting career, Busey is also involved in the music industry. He plays drums for the band Sons of the Lawless; their song “Let Me Down” is featured over the end credits of the film “Nazis at the Center of the Earth”, in which Busey also starred.
When it comes to his private life, Busey has a daughter with his fiance April Hutchinson, with whom he was first engaged in the ’90s. After an 11-year separation, the couple renewed their engagement in the 2000s. They currently reside in Los Angeles, California.
During the filming of Starship Troopers (1997), Jake suffered heatstroke after working all day in 120* desert sun. This stopped production for a week. When he recovered, several large holes were cut into his uniform so he could cool off. Many other cast member's suits had this modification as well in order to prevent further cases. On average there were 25 people per day being treated for heatstroke during the filming of Starship Troopers.
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Jake has played drums since early childhood.
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Jake is an instrument rated private pilot. He earned his license in September of 1997 after having met the pilots of the helicopter he flew on screen in Home Fries (1998).
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Son of Gary Busey and Judy Busey. Gary credits Jake with helping him conquer a serious cocaine habit, and with helping him recover from a near-fatal motorcycle accident. Both men have appeared in adaptations of John Grisham novels: Gary was in The Firm (1993); Jake appears in Christmas with the Kranks (2004).