Who Is Gary Busey Of ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Season 21?

Gary Busey stunned everybody when he made the grand announcement that he’s on the cast of Dancing With the Stars Season 21. This won’t be Busey’s first foray into reality television, but it may be the most surprising. He’s sure to stir up some chaos on this fall DWTS season, and those who aren’t already familiar with him will be curious to know more. What’s the scoop on Busey?

Though Gary Busey has been an actor for decades, many reality TV fans will remember him more recently from the season of Celebrity Apprentice that also starred John Rich, Marlee Matlin, Star Jones, NeNe Leakes, Jose Canseco, and others.

Gary definitely had some wild moments in that 2011 season and he was fired during Task 7. He stirred up enough entertainment and drama that he was brought back for the All-Star season that aired on NBC in 2013. That season included stars such as Trace Adkins, Bret Michaels, Penn Jillette, and Dennis Rodman. He was fired in Week 9 during that Celebrity Apprentice stint.

Busey’s acting career has spanned more than four decades. Early projects included Bonanza, Kung Fu, and The Last American Hero, while a bigger role came with The Texas Wheelers. He’s played himself in many gigs, including guest spots on The Simpsons, Scrubs, and Entourage. Gary also appeared on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew in 2008 and he did Celebrity Big Brother in the United Kingdom in 2014.

Though Gary has been in dozens of projects over the years, as IMDb notes, many remember him best from films such as The Buddy Holly Story, Point Break, and Lethal Weapon. The headline-generating actor was born in Goose Creek, Texas and attended Pittsburg State University in Kansas, thanks to a football scholarship. In addition to acting, Busey has been involved in music over the years as well, playing the drums in several bands.

This new Dancing With the Stars contestant has been married twice, to Tiani Warden and Judy Busey, though he’s been divorced since 2001. Gary has a son named Jake, a daughter named Alectra, and a younger son named Luke from his relationship with Steffanie Sampson. Some may know Jake from the shows From Dusk Till Dawn, Good Vibes, Sex, Love & Secrets, or a number of other acting gigs he’s had.

Many fans will remember that Gary Busey was involved in a very serious motorcycle accident quite a few years back. As the Los Angeles Times detailed, the accident happened in Culver City, California in 1988. He wasn’t wearing a helmet and he struck his head on the curb. Busey was in critical condition and had extensive head trauma. He’s had a fair number of other public challenges over the years, but he’s got a ton of fans who simply adore him and find his antics to be hilarious.

Busey is known for being quite unpredictable, which should make for an interesting scenario on Season 21 of DWTS. Anna Trebunskaya is back to partner with Gary, and many can already imagine this might be a complicated pairing.

Trebunskaya has participated in many seasons of the show, but she did take a break after the All-Star season when she was paired with Drew Lachey. Other partners have included Jerry Rice, Evan Lysacek, Kurt Warner, and Carson Kressley, to name a few. She finished in second place in Season 2 with Rice and Season 10 with Lysacek.

Just how well will Gary and Anna do in Season 21 of DWTS? It’ll be a tough season with the likes of Bindi Irwin, Alek Skarlatos, Paula Deen, and Hayes Grier, but fans are dying to see the infamous actor hit the dance floor. The fall Dancing With the Stars season with Gary Busey and Anna Trebunskaya, along with the other new pairings, kicks into gear on Monday, September 14.

[Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images]