Steve Buscemi: Who alive today do you admire most, and what draws you to them?

The question

Who alive today do you admire most, and what draws you to them?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

The Guardian's Q&A repeatedly uses this prompt, sometimes dropping 'living' while retaining the same comparative judgment.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Steve Buscemi

Recorded said elsewhere, not written here

Gabby Giffords. She’s a survivor of gun violence and a relentless champion of sensible gun safety measures.

Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, September 2025 source ↗

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Fran Lebowitz American author and public speaker

At the moment, Ukraine’s president.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 18 June 2022 source ↗

Lena Dunham

My uncle, Edward Wood Dunham. He has Parkinson’s disease and faces every day with bravery, humor, and a gin-and-tonic.

Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, September 2014 source ↗

Anna Paquin New Zealand actress

I am really loving the badass co-captain of the US soccer team, Megan Rapinoe. She is exceptionally hard-working and talented, and stands up for what she believes.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 27 July 2019 source ↗

Jessica Hynes British actress and writer

Angelina Jolie, because she really seems to get shit done.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 13 August 2016 source ↗

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Question What period or moment in your life brought you the most joy? Time & hindsight

Playing the Cowardly Lion in our fourth-grade production of The Wizard of Oz. Thank you, Mr. Riccobono.

Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, September 2025 source ↗

Question Which trait in yourself do you like least? Identity & self

Being judgmental.

Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, September 2025 source ↗

Question What do you fear most? Identity & self

Losing family, friends, and loved ones.

Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, September 2025 source ↗

Question If you could alter one thing about yourself, what would it be? Identity & self

Procrastinating. I saved answering this questionnaire until the very last minute.

Recorded The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, 2 September 2025 source ↗

Question Which quality in your friends matters most to you? Relationships

Being there for each other during good times and bad.

Recorded The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, 2 September 2025 source ↗

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