Steve Buscemi has been spotted out and about with a black eye after a shocking attack in New York City.
The actor, 66, was hospitalized after being punched in a random attack by a stranger at around 11:48AM in Manhattan on Wednesday (May 8), according to The New York Times.
Buscemi, best known for starring in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, had been walking near the corner of Third Avenue and East 27th Street in the Kips Bay neighborhood when he was struck in the face by the stranger.
Buscemi suffered swelling to his face and left eye and was taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment, authorities disclosed.
In new pictures shared by TMZ, the beloved star was seen wearing glasses, beneath which bruising could be seen around his left eye.
The pictures, which were taken on Saturday, are the first time the actor has been seen since the unsettling incident.
See the image below:While police did not reveal that the victim was Buscemi, his publicist confirmed the news as he issued a statement on Sunday (May 12).
“Steve Buscemi was assaulted in Mid-Town Manhattan, another victim of a random act of violence in the city,” Buscemi’s publicist said, per the outlet.
“He is ok and appreciates everyone’s well wishes, though incredibly sad for everyone that this has happened to while also walking the streets of New York,” they added.
A worker who witnessed the assault told The New York Post: “I saw he was with a woman, and then through the corner of the window I saw him trip and fall backwards.
“He right away got up and ran in the opposite direction. I didn’t see who hit him," they continued. "It worries me for when we close because we close at 11 and it can get scary around that time," the woman, who asked to be identified only as Nat, added.
The NYPD released surveillance images of the alleged attacker, a bearded man sporting a baseball cap, a blue t-shirt, and black sweatpants.
The assault on Buscemi comes after his Boardwalk Empire co-star Michael Stuhlbarg was also attacked at random while out in New York earlier this year.
The 55-year-old, who played gangster Arnold Rothstein on the show, was struck in the back of the neck with a rock while walking in Manhattan's Central Park on March 31, as reported by The Independent.
The actor had been out for a run near Central Park, and ended up chasing his attacker to the Russian consulate at East 91st Street, where cops stationed outside arrested the assailant.
Authorities confirmed the following day (Monday, April 1) that the actor suffered minor injuries, and revealed the alleged suspect to be a 27-year-old man named Xavier Israel.