'80s actor and Oscar nominee Gary Busey confused his fans on Tuesday when he posted a bizarre video of himself making honking noises in an imitation of a goose. The 81-year-old looked worlds away from his days as one of Hollywood's most sought-after actors, as he sat in the passenger seat of a car and addressed his social media followers.
"Hey, it's Gary Busey, and I have got a great Christmas present for you," he began, dressed in a blue shirt and a gray jacket with a cap that read "Killer Klowns from Outer Space" in reference to the 1988 horror film.
© InstagramHe then proceeded to make a loud honking noise, like that of a goose. "That's what a GOOSE sounds like when they're flying. They're letting you know they're up there," he explained.
"You get a bunch of geese together…they're honking in the air." Gary's followers took to the comment section to share their reactions to the odd video, with one pointing out that he didn't blink throughout the entire clip, and another joking: "Such a good actor. Thought he was a goose."
Gary acted in minor roles throughout the '70s until he scored the lead role in 1978's The Buddy Holly Story, which earned him a Best Actor nomination at the Academy Awards and kickstarted his career. He followed this up with several more hits, including Lethal Weapon, Predator 2, Point Break and The Firm.
A major motorcycle accident in 1988 changed his life forever, and Gary claimed to have seen "the other side" after he was hit. "About 25 years ago, I had an accident on a Harley-Davidson," the father of three told The Guardian in 2020.
© Getty Images"I went off the bike without a helmet, hit my head into a [curb], split my skull, passed away after brain surgery, and went to the other side – the spiritual realm where I got information."
"And I came back, and these messages, these definitions, came to me first-class. I'll think of a word and write the word down without thinking," he said, adding that he was "surrounded by angels" while unconscious after the accident.
© ABC"Three angels came up to me…I was a quarter of an inch wide and one foot long," he continued. "And three balls of light came up to me and talked to me...Then a light said: 'You may come to us now or return to your body and continue your destiny.'"
His son, Jake, told The Hollywood Reporter that the motorcycle accident was the beginning of an incredibly difficult time for their family.
© Ron Galella Collection via Getty"At 17, I had to teach him with my mom to talk, to eat, to feed himself. To walk again. To write. That was very difficult for me at that age. The post-accident version of him turned his personality up to 11. I feel like I lost my dad on December 4, 1988," he recalled.
Seven years after his accident, Gary overdosed on cocaine, which led him to become a devout Christian in 1996. Throughout the '00s and '10s, he became known to a new generation of fans thanks to his appearances on reality shows, including Celebrity Rehab and The Apprentice.
© Getty ImagesIn recent years, Gary has kept a low profile due to the sexual misconduct allegations brought against him by five women following his appearance at the horror convention Monster-Mania Con in August 2022.
Gary accepted a plea agreement in July 2025, which saw him plead guilty to one charge of criminal sexual misconduct. The other charges against him were dropped as part of the agreement, and he was sentenced to two years' probation.
