Steve Buscemi

• Television role: Plays Principal Barry Dort, the new head of Nevermore Academy, in Wednesday Season 2 (2025); TheWrap's cast guide describes Dort as a pyrokinetic outsider who brings a new style of leadership to the school after Principal Weems' death.
• Award-winning lead role: Achieved widespread television recognition as corrupt Atlantic City politician Nucky Thompson in HBO's Boardwalk Empire, winning a Golden Globe and multiple Screen Actors Guild Awards, per the People report carried by Yahoo News.
• Breakthrough film role: His breakout role was Mr. Pink in Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs (1992), per the People report carried by Yahoo News.
• Signature film roles: Known for off-beat, eccentric roles in Fargo, The Big Lebowski, Ghost World, and action films including Con Air and Armageddon, per Yahoo News/People and TheWrap's cast guide.
• Background: Began his working life as a New York City firefighter before pivoting to acting in the early 1980s, per the People report carried by Yahoo News.

Performance style

• Earnest oddball authority — Livemint's Season 2 review describes 'a surprisingly earnest Steve Buscemi' as Principal Dort; NPR's segment features his banter with Wednesday in the season-opening dinner scene ('There's that wicked tongue I've heard so much about'), played with dry comic timing.
• Signature character-actor register — TheWrap's cast guide introduces him as a 'beloved character actor' whose signature roles run from Fargo and Reservoir Dogs to Boardwalk Empire; Yahoo News/People describes his off-beat, eccentric screen persona - the register he brings to Dort.

Reception

• Wednesday Season 2 (2025): Mixed: The Independent's review calls the new headmaster 'criminally underused' ('Steve Buscemi, wasted'), while Livemint praises his 'surprisingly earnest' turn; the split mirrors the season's divided reception overall.
• Boardwalk Empire (2010-2014): Award-recognized television lead: Golden Globe and multiple SAG Award wins for playing Nucky Thompson, per the People report carried by Yahoo News.

Cast they appear alongside

• Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams (Wednesday) — Title lead; a student under Dort's administration in Season 2.
• Gwendoline Christie as Larissa Weems (Wednesday) — Dort's predecessor as Nevermore principal; Weems' death opens the post he fills.
• Billie Piper as Isadora Capri (Wednesday) — Fellow Season 2 staffing addition as the school's new head of music.
• Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams (Wednesday) — Season 2 brings Morticia on campus, within Dort's administration.
• Luis Guzman as Gomez Addams (Wednesday) — Plays Wednesday's father.
• Emma Myers as Enid Sinclair (Wednesday) — Wednesday's roommate; Nevermore ensemble.
• Hunter Doohan as Tyler Galpin (Wednesday) — Season 1's central antagonist reveal; Willow Hill thread in Season 2.

Who plays Principal Dort in Wednesday?

Steve Buscemi, the Golden Globe and SAG Award-winning character actor, plays Principal Barry Dort, Nevermore Academy's new head, in Season 2 (2025).

Who is Barry Dort in Wednesday?

Barry Dort is the new principal of Nevermore Academy in Season 2, installed after the death of Principal Larissa Weems in Season 1; per TheWrap's cast guide he is a pyrokinetic outsider with a manipulative leadership style.

What is Steve Buscemi known for?

His signature roles include Mr. Pink in Reservoir Dogs (1992), plus Fargo, The Big Lebowski, Ghost World, and action films like Con Air and Armageddon; on television he is best known as Nucky Thompson in HBO's Boardwalk Empire.

Did Steve Buscemi win awards for Boardwalk Empire?

Yes. Per the People report carried by Yahoo News, he won a Golden Globe and multiple Screen Actors Guild Awards for playing Nucky Thompson.

Was Steve Buscemi a firefighter?

Yes. He began his working life as a New York City firefighter before pivoting to acting in the early 1980s, per the People report carried by Yahoo News.

• Wednesday — show hub
• Wednesday cast guide
• All Actors & Cast
• Adam Scott
• Billie Piper
• Britt Lower
• Catherine Zeta-Jones
• Christina Ricci
• Christopher Walken
• Dichen Lachman
• Emma D'Arcy
• Emma Myers
• Evie Templeton
• Fred Armisen
• Georgie Farmer
• Gwendoline Christie
• Hunter Doohan
• Isaac Ordonez
• Jamie McShane
• Jen Tullock
• Jenna Ortega
• Joanna Lumley
• John Turturro
• Joy Sunday
• Justin Hartley
• Luis Guzman
• Moosa Mostafa
• Patricia Arquette
• Percy Hynes White
• Riki Lindhome
• Sarah Bock
• Thandiwe Newton
• Tramell Tillman
• Victor Dorobantu
• Zach Cherry