Born in Budapest, Hungary in 1952, Zoltan Buday's life took a dramatic turn after the 1956 revolution, leading his family to flee as refugees and eventually settle in Montreal, Canada in 1957, after a year in refugee camps. During his formative years, Buday developed a remarkable talent for classical guitar, which would later serve as a creative outlet.
As a teenager, Buday's interest in acting began to flourish, and he started performing with various small theater companies in Ontario. Behind the camera, he worked diligently, including shooting an entire season of the TV fashion series "Wonderful Woman" in 1985. His transition to film acting commenced while residing in Calgary, with his first leading role being that of Superkiller in the second installment of the Black Cat films, Black Cat II, which was partly shot in Canada and Hong Kong in 1993.
Throughout his career, Buday's extensive experience in martial arts, stuntwork, linguistic proficiency, and rugged good looks made him a versatile actor, securing him roles in various films and television shows, including Mask of Death, Decoy, X-Files, Poltergeist, Viper, and a miniseries.
After facing a health crisis a few years ago, Buday took the time to recuperate, during which he remained active by working on plays with Talbot Theater Production, festival films, and as a dialogue coach for several productions. He also played a crucial role in establishing an actor's union in British Columbia, which later became the Union of British Columbia Performers (UBCP).
In addition to his acting career, Buday is a skilled classical guitarist, with several of his compositions recorded. He is also an accomplished painter and photographer, having exhibited his work since 1985. Buday lives in Vancouver, BC with his second wife, Natasha, and has two children, Golok Buday and Koszima Mair, from his first marriage to Aletta. Following his full recovery from an aneurysm, Buday is now seeking new projects in film and is a member of both UBCP and ACTRA.
