Short answer:Steve Buscemi really was an FDNY firefighter — he served with Engine Company 55 in Little Italy from 1980 to 1984, years before his acting career, and returned to work alongside his old company at Ground Zero for days after 9/11. Denis Leary, by contrast, was never a real firefighter — he's an actor and comedian who created and starred in FX's Rescue Me, though his commitment to the fire service is genuine, born from a 1999 warehouse fire that killed his cousin and childhood friend.
A handful of actors closely associated with firefighting on screen have real connections to the fire service — but "closely associated" and "actually was one" are two very different things. Here's the real story behind two of the most searched names.
Steve Buscemi: A Real FDNY Firefighter
Long before Reservoir Dogs, Fargo, or Boardwalk Empire, Steve Buscemi took the FDNY civil service exam at 18 and joined the department at 22. He served for four years, from 1980 to 1984, with Engine Company 55 in Manhattan's Little Italy — taking secret acting classes on the side before eventually taking a leave of absence to pursue acting full-time, a leave that quietly became permanent as his film career took off.
On September 12, 2001, already a well-established film actor, Buscemi grabbed his old gear, made his way to Ground Zero, and found his former company working the site. He asked to join them and spent several more days working 12-hour shifts, digging through rubble and searching for survivors alongside his former colleagues — deliberately avoiding interviews and photographs, and even wearing a surgical mask to avoid being recognized. His involvement wasn't widely known publicly until a 2013 Facebook post from a firefighter fraternal organization brought attention to it. In later interviews, Buscemi has spoken openly about experiencing PTSD from his time at Ground Zero.
Denis Leary: Never a Firefighter, but Deeply Connected to the Fire Service
Denis Leary, who created and starred as firefighter Tommy Gavin in FX's Rescue Me (2004–2011), was never a firefighter himself — he's a comedian and actor from Worcester, Massachusetts. His deep connection to the fire service comes from personal tragedy: on December 3, 1999, six Worcester firefighters died in the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Company fire, including Leary's cousin, Jeremiah Lucey, and his childhood friend, Lieutenant Thomas Spencer.
In response, Leary founded the Leary Firefighters Foundation in 2000, which has since raised millions of dollars for equipment, training, and support for firefighting families nationwide, including a dedicated Fund for New York's Bravest established after 9/11 to help families of the 343 firefighters lost. Roughly 65–70% of the firehouse storylines on Rescue Me were drawn directly from real accounts Leary heard from firefighter friends. One detail often mentioned alongside his name: Leary did get behind the wheel of a fire engine on September 11, 2001, when the department was short-handed responding to the collapse — a real, if limited, hands-on moment, but not the same as having served as a firefighter.
Quick Reference
| Actor | Real firefighter? | Real-life connection |
|---|---|---|
| Steve Buscemi | Yes | FDNY Engine 55, 1980–1984; returned to work at Ground Zero after 9/11 |
| Denis Leary | No | Founded the Leary Firefighters Foundation after losing his cousin in the 1999 Worcester fire; created/starred in Rescue Me |
Real service and real advocacy both matter. Whether it's Buscemi quietly returning to sift through rubble or Leary channeling grief into a foundation that's raised millions for firefighting families, both stories reflect a genuine bond with the fire service — even if only one of them actually wore the uniform.
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