EntertainmentArrested Developmentbuster bluthTony hale

Tony Hale Reveals The New York Inspiration For Buster Bluth's Personality

What was the deal with Buster Bluth?
By 

Senior Culture Reporter, HuffPost

and

Reporter, HuffPost

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"Arrested Development"

When "Arrested Development" premiered in 2003, the standout character was Buster Bluth.

Buster was memorable for being far stranger than the typical Fox sitcom character. Although his personality was aggressively harmless, there was certainly something deranged about actor Tony Hale's portrayal of the youngest Bluth brother on the show. It was almost as if the character existed in the uncanny valley, where only some great evil could have turned him into such an eccentric, humanoid figure: in other words, the New York City subway system and its riders.

After Hale appeared on a HuffPost Facebook Live segment, we caught the actor in the hallway (hale-way?) to talk about "Arrested Development." In this conversation, Hale revealed the basis for Buster Bluth ... a typical, neurotic New York City subway rider.

"He’s just anxiety-ridden," said Hale of his character, explaining that the character was modeled after subway riders who have to deal with "the awkwardness of having people on a subway and just the anxiety." Buster Bluth is simply a man who has been aggressively beaten down by the MTA.

As Hale said in a previous Reddit AMA, he lived in New York City for eight years and observed various subway characters he apparently would later draw inspiration from. "New York was so tense," Hale told HuffPost, "That I could just watch people and how they dealt with the anxiety, and [Buster] was just a combination [of these personalities]."

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Average subway commuters or inspiration for Buster Bluth?
David Sacks via Getty Images

Hale also said that the character was a "9-year-old trapped in a 32-year-old’s body," which also doesn't sound too dissimilar from the cliché trust fund New Yorker. Now, if you're ever riding the subway, you can worry about turning into the real-life incarnation of Buster Bluth.

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Before You Go

14 TV Shows Netflix Should Remake
Kenan and Kel (1996-2000)(01 of14)
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There really should be a remake of "Kenan and Kel" ASAP! Positive, young and funny black males are almost non-existent on TV today. -- Amber Ferguson, politics video editor (credit:Archive Photos via Getty Images)
The O.C. (2003-2007)(02 of14)
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Look at all the shows that launched because that angsty teen drama popularized the Orange County area. "Laguna Beach" (which led to "The Hills," a classic!) and "Real Housewives of Orange County" wouldn't have existed without "The O.C." Plus, people still love the characters from the show so much they refer to Adam Brody as Seth Cohen and Benjamin McKenzie as Ryan Atwood, respectively. -- Paige Lavender, assignment editor (credit:Michael Yarish via Getty Images)
Firefly (2002-2003)(03 of14)
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Do I have to be the first one to say "Firefly?" I'd love to see what could be done in 2015 with the show on a Netflix-sized budget and a proper series order! -- Chris McGonigal, photo editor (credit:20th Century Fox Television)
Recess (1997-2001)(04 of14)
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I used to watch it every Saturday morning faithfully. It would be interesting to see how kids today interact in the age of social media, technology, etc. -- Phil Lewis, editorial fellow (credit:Disney)
Looking (2014-2015)(05 of14)
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Haters gonna hate, but I firmly believe "Looking" didn't get a fair shake before it was prematurely canceled by HBO. I loved its quieter tone, which spoke to me more than any other gay-themed TV series did before. Netflix would be a much more appropriate home for a series that got absolutely no credit for portraying gay men as more complex than their white, waxed and chiseled stereotype, and featured storylines about PrEP and serodiscordant couples. #TeamRichie for life. -- Curtis M. Wong, senior gay voices editor (credit:HBO)
Static Shock (2000-2004)(06 of14)
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Please remake "Static Shock," one of the only cartoons with a black superhero lead that I could watch on Saturdays as a kid. The show also dealt with real-world issues, like bullying, school shootings and racism. -- Phil Lewis, editorial fellow (credit:Cartoon Network)
The West Wing (1999-2006)(07 of14)
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Please remake "The West Wing." Except just pick up where it left off. "The West Wing," Season 8: Streaming On Netflix Soon. -- Carina Kolodny, director of multimedia platforms (credit:Warner Bros. via Getty Images)
Taina (2001-2002)(08 of14)
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Please remake "Taina." It was one of the first teen sitcoms to feature a Latino (Puerto Rican) family in a positive, non-stereotypical light. It was the first time I saw myself reflected in the mainstream media. It only lasted one season, but it'll live in my heart forever! -- Tanisha Ramirez, Latino voices editor (credit:Nickelodeon)
The Angry Beavers (1997-2001)(09 of14)
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Because you can't have "Zombeavers" on Netflix and not "Angry Beavers." -- Tyler R. Kingkade, senior editor/reporter (credit:Nickelodeon)
Gossip Girl (2007-2012)(10 of14)
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Remake "Gossip Girl," because what is life without Chuck Bass and hearing him like every other episode say, "I'm Chuck Bass." P.S. Serena and Blair were the ultimate BFF goals. -- Shonitria Anthony, voices news editor (credit:James Devaney via Getty Images)
Rocko's Modern Life (1993-1996)(11 of14)
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"Rocko's Modern Life" needs a remake. I was probably too young to appreciate most of its humor/weirdness. I just watched the opening credits again. WTF is going on there? Maybe I will never understand. -- Catharine Smith, business editor (credit:Nickelodeon)
Beast Wars: Transformers (1996-1999)(12 of14)
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Please remake "Beast Wars!" It was the best incarnation ever of the Transformers saga. Optimus Prime was such a badass gorilla. -- Alexander C. Kaufman, business editor (credit:Hasbro)
Jericho (2006-2008)(13 of14)
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The premise showed a lot of promise: There's a nuclear attack on a number of U.S. cities and the residents of Jericho, Kansas, are left to deal with the aftermath. But then they cast Skeet Ulrich as the lead and invested like nothing in making the dialogue tolerable. (The only exception was the amazing Lennie James, who should be kept in a reboot.) I don't think they even finished the second season because it was so bad. But there were a lot of good ideas here! -- Kate Sheppard, senior reporter/energy and environment editor (credit:CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images)
The Greatest American Hero (1981-1983)(14 of14)
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Some superheroes are getting multiple reboots, while the greatest American superhero gets nothing. A clever reboot that plays on the themes of responsibility, power, and personal expectations, while treating the superhero genre with a mix of reality and humor would definitely be binge-worthy. The bar for incorporating special effects is also a lot lower now than it was in the early '80s. -- Victor Brand, standards editor (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
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