Steve Buscemi’s greatest-ever death scene: “Why did I have to die?”

Steve Buscemi says his favourite of his many on-screen deaths is Donny’s sudden heart attack in *The Big Lebowski*. The understated scene stands out from the more graphic fates his characters meet and reflects the Coen brothers’ habit of killing off characters played by Buscemi.

Buscemi has estimated that he has died in about 20 films, though he says he has lost count; his first such scene was in the 1988 thriller *Call Me*. Other memorable deaths include being shot in the face in *Miller’s Crossing* and Carl Showalter’s brutal end in *Fargo*. Speaking to Jon Stewart, Buscemi joked about Donny’s death: “Why did I have to die?”