Gary Busey

Ask Gary Busey about his life these days, and he's likely to flash his trademark toothy grin. He might also jump up and declare, as he did in a recent interview, "It's CRAZY good!" The 66-year-old actor is keenly aware of the perceptions about him ? he knows you think he's crazy. And he knows it has everything to do with a litany of well-publicized highs and lows that span more than three decades in Hollywood ? a battle with drugs after his lead actor Oscar nomination for 1978's "The Buddy Holly Story"; a near-fatal motorcycle crash that caused a traumatic brain injury in 1988; an appearance as his "crazy" self on a 2007 episode of "Entourage"; a stint on VH-1's "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew" in 2008; and an unsolicited neck smooch delivered to a startled Jennifer Garner on the red carpet at the Academy Awards in 2008.

Penn Jillette isn't one to shy from controversy. In his new book, "Every Day Is an Atheist Holiday," the highly opinionated, talkative half of the long-running magic duo Penn & Teller takes on atheism, racism and the plight of the underclass. But perhaps his most shocking personal view is about Donald Trump. Jillette likes him, mostly for the real estate mogul's determination to be himself. "It's an important part of our culture," Jillette said over a cup of hot tea in West Hollywood one recent afternoon.

A roundup of entertainment headlines for Thursday: Controversial evangelical pastor Ted Haggard will trade wives with celebrity Gary Busey on an upcoming episode of "Wife Swap. " ( Los Angeles Times ) After 31 years of making music together, R.E.M. calls it quits. ( Los Angeles Times ) "Bones" star Emily Deschanel welcomes baby boy Henry. ( People ) Meanwhile, sister Zooey Deschanel's sitcom "New Girl" topped the ratings. ( Los Angeles Times ) Arnold Schwarzenegger is writing an "unbelievably true" memoir called "Total Recall.

First there was "The Apprentice," then the more exclusive "Celebrity Apprentice. " Now, Donald Trump has announced the even more exclusive, and redundantly named, "All-Star Celebrity Apprentice. " Next season, we may even get "V.I.P. All-Star Celebrity Apprentice. " The lineup for the new season will feature fan favorites from previous seasons of "Celebrity Apprentice," including country star Trace Adkins, actor Stephen Baldwin, actor and reality star Gary Busey, magician Penn Jillette, rapper Lil Jon, Poison frontman Bret Michaels, NBA Hall-of-Famer Dennis Rodman, Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider, actress Marilu Henner, singer La Toya Jackson, actress Claudia Jordan, the first big star of "The Apprentice" Omarosa, actress Lisa Rinna and Playmate of the Year Brande Roderick.

Actor Gary Busey, whose 1978 performance in "The Buddy Holly Story" won an Academy Award nomination, was critically injured Sunday in a motorcycle accident in Culver City, police said. Busey, 44, of Malibu, was driving west on Washington Boulevard near Robertson Boulevard at 11:40 a.m. when his Harley-Davidson motorcycle fell to the ground, Culver City Police Sgt. Karin Reagan said. "He was thrown off, and the back of his head struck the curb," Reagan said. "He was not wearing a helmet."

Prosecutors filed felony drug charges Tuesday against actor Gary Busey, less than a week after he took a near-fatal overdose of cocaine at his Malibu home. Busey was charged with one count of possession of cocaine, single counts of possessing psilocybin and marijuana and one count of being under the influence of cocaine, Deputy Dist. Atty. Michael Wilson said.

Actor Gary Busey surrendered to sheriff's deputies, posted bail and was arraigned Tuesday on drug charges stemming from a May 4 overdose at his Malibu home. The 50-year-old actor, who was nominated for an Oscar for his lead role in "The Buddy Holly Story," was accompanied by his lawyer when he arrived at the sheriff's Lost Hills station about 7:30 a.m., Deputy Angie Prewett said.

"What's great about tonight is that I can see everybody, everybody is in focus and I haven't thrown up a bunch of times," announced erstwhile party animal Gary Busey from the Palace stage Tuesday as he celebrated his cleaned-up status, and his first break from acting for a musical performance in quite a while. You just know that Busey's going to be an animated guy, and he was suitably semi-hyper for the occasion.

"There's got to be something wrong with me," says Jake Busey, "something that makes me really enjoy being someone else." If there's something wrong with Busey, it's not readily apparent. Fresh from shooting "The Frighteners," the 25-year-old actor went right into filming a major role in the action film "Starship Troopers" and he's already been tapped to star in "Contact," the first movie directed by Robert Zemeckis since "Forrest Gump."

First there was "The Apprentice," then the more exclusive "Celebrity Apprentice. " Now, Donald Trump has announced the even more exclusive, and redundantly named, "All-Star Celebrity Apprentice. " Next season, we may even get "V.I.P. All-Star Celebrity Apprentice. " The lineup for the new season will feature fan favorites from previous seasons of "Celebrity Apprentice," including country star Trace Adkins, actor Stephen Baldwin, actor and reality star Gary Busey, magician Penn Jillette, rapper Lil Jon, Poison frontman Bret Michaels, NBA Hall-of-Famer Dennis Rodman, Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider, actress Marilu Henner, singer La Toya Jackson, actress Claudia Jordan, the first big star of "The Apprentice" Omarosa, actress Lisa Rinna and Playmate of the Year Brande Roderick.

A roundup of entertainment headlines for Thursday: Controversial evangelical pastor Ted Haggard will trade wives with celebrity Gary Busey on an upcoming episode of "Wife Swap. " ( Los Angeles Times ) After 31 years of making music together, R.E.M. calls it quits. ( Los Angeles Times ) "Bones" star Emily Deschanel welcomes baby boy Henry. ( People ) Meanwhile, sister Zooey Deschanel's sitcom "New Girl" topped the ratings. ( Los Angeles Times ) Arnold Schwarzenegger is writing an "unbelievably true" memoir called "Total Recall.

Count the Club for Growth, the influential Washington anti-tax group, among those horrified at the thought of a Donald Trump presidential bid. "Donald Trump for president? You've got to be joking," Club for Growth's president, former Rep. Chris Chocola, said in a statement Monday. The club's problem with Trump is not his penchant for endless self-promotion, his famous hair, or the fact that a man named Meat Loaf could still win "Celebrity Apprentice. " It's that Trump, in his last incarnation as a presidential candidate in 2000, wrote a book in which he favored universal health care and championed a one-time soak-the-rich tax to clear the nation's debt.

Ask Gary Busey about his life these days, and he's likely to flash his trademark toothy grin. He might also jump up and declare, as he did in a recent interview, "It's CRAZY good!" The 66-year-old actor is keenly aware of the perceptions about him ? he knows you think he's crazy. And he knows it has everything to do with a litany of well-publicized highs and lows that span more than three decades in Hollywood ? a battle with drugs after his lead actor Oscar nomination for 1978's "The Buddy Holly Story"; a near-fatal motorcycle crash that caused a traumatic brain injury in 1988; an appearance as his "crazy" self on a 2007 episode of "Entourage"; a stint on VH-1's "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew" in 2008; and an unsolicited neck smooch delivered to a startled Jennifer Garner on the red carpet at the Academy Awards in 2008.

"I'm with Busey." I've wanted the chance to say that for 25 years. I've always been curious about what it would be like to hang with the edgy dude whose brilliant, Oscar-nominated portrayal of Buddy Holly in 1978 was topped only by his same-year appearance in the greatest surfing film ever made, "Big Wednesday." A guy whose notorious wild streak had him burning the candle at both ends, then dripping the wax on himself for good measure.

"There's got to be something wrong with me," says Jake Busey, "something that makes me really enjoy being someone else." If there's something wrong with Busey, it's not readily apparent. Fresh from shooting "The Frighteners," the 25-year-old actor went right into filming a major role in the action film "Starship Troopers" and he's already been tapped to star in "Contact," the first movie directed by Robert Zemeckis since "Forrest Gump."

Actor Gary Busey surrendered to sheriff's deputies, posted bail and was arraigned Tuesday on drug charges stemming from a May 4 overdose at his Malibu home. The 50-year-old actor, who was nominated for an Oscar for his lead role in "The Buddy Holly Story," was accompanied by his lawyer when he arrived at the sheriff's Lost Hills station about 7:30 a.m., Deputy Angie Prewett said.

Gary Joins Dolly: Gary Busey will play opposite Dolly Parton in an NBC movie starting filming this week in Austin, Tex. The script casts Parton as a country singer whose budding career is interrupted when she is accused of murdering her abusive lover. Also in the still untitled film are Ray Benson, singer and bandleader of Asleep at the Wheel, and Willie Nelson.

Life imitated art at an auction Saturday when actor Gary Busey, who played Buddy Holly in a film biography, paid $242,000 for an acoustic guitar owned by the late rock 'n' roll pioneer. In addition to the 1945 Gibson guitar with a cover hand-tooled by Holly, the 118 lots in the sale included a Fender Stratocaster guitar that netted $110,000.

Prosecutors filed felony drug charges Tuesday against actor Gary Busey, less than a week after he took a near-fatal overdose of cocaine at his Malibu home. Busey was charged with one count of possession of cocaine, single counts of possessing psilocybin and marijuana and one count of being under the influence of cocaine, Deputy Dist. Atty. Michael Wilson said.

Actor Gary Busey, who was not wearing a helmet when he was nearly killed in a motorcycle crash three years ago, on Friday urged all state legislatures to pass mandatory helmet laws. Busey had been an outspoken opponent of helmet laws before his own accident, but now has changed sides. "I don't have any tolerance for people who want to ride free in the wind," Busey said at a Los Angeles press conference. "If you don't wear a helmet, you're not playing with a full deck."