William H. Macy

William Hall Macy Jr. (born March 13, 1950) is an American actor. His film career has been built on appearances in small, independent films, though he has also appeared in summer action films.[4] Macy has described himself as "sort of a Middle American, WASPy, Lutheran kind of guy... Everyman".[5]
Macy has won two Emmy Awards and four Screen Actors Guild Awards, as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Fargo. Since 2011, he has played Frank Gallagher, a main character in the Showtimeadaptation of the British television series Shameless. Macy and actress Felicity Huffman have been married since 1997.
== Early life ==
Macy was born in Miami, Florida, and grew up in Georgia and Maryland.[6] His father, William Hall Macy, Sr. (1922–2007), was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and an Air Medal for flying a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber in World War II; he later ran a construction company in Atlanta, Georgia, and worked for Dun & Bradstreet before taking over a Cumberland, Maryland-based insurance agency when Macy was nine years old. His mother, Lois (née Overstreet; 1920–2001), was a war widow who met Macy's father after her first husband died in 1943; Macy has described her as a "Southern belle".[7][8][9]
Macy graduated from Allegany High School in Cumberland, Maryland in 1968, and went on to Bethany College in West Virginia where he studied veterinary medicine.[4] A 'wretched student' by his own admission, he transferred to Goddard College in rural Vermont, where he studied under playwright David Mamet. He studied theatre at HB Studio[10] in New York City.
== Career ==
After graduating from Goddard in 1972, Macy originated roles in a number of plays by collaborator David Mamet, such as American Buffalo[11] and The Water Engine.[12] While in Chicago in his twenties, he did a TV commercial. He was required to join AFTRA in order to do the commercial, and received his SAG card within a year, which for an elated Macy represented an important moment in his career.[13]
Macy spent time in Los Angeles before moving to New York City in 1980, where he had roles in over 50 Off Broadway and Broadway plays. One of his early on-screen roles was as a turtle named Socrates in the direct-to-video film The Boy Who Loved Trolls (1984), under the name W. H. Macy (so as not to be confused with the actor Bill Macy). He also had a minor role as a hospital orderly on the sitcom Kate & Allie in the fourth-season episode "General Hospital", and played an assistant district attorney in "Everybody's Favorite Bagman", the first produced episode of Law & Order; in both appearances, he was billed as W. H. Macy. He has appeared in numerous films that Mamet wrote and/or directed, such as House of Games, Things Change, Homicide, Oleanna (reprising the role he originated in the play of the same name), Wag the Dog, State and Main and Spartan.
Macy's leading role in Fargo helped boost his career and recognizability, though at the expense of nearly confining him to a narrow typecast of a worried man down on his luck.[14] Other Macy roles of the 1990s and 2000s included Benny & Joon, Above Suspicion, Mr. Holland's Opus, Ghosts of Mississippi, Air Force One, Boogie Nights, A Civil Action, Pleasantville, Gus Van Sant's remake of Psycho, Happy, Texas, Mystery Men, Magnolia, Jurassic Park III, Focus, Panic, Welcome to Collinwood, Seabiscuit, The Cooler and Sahara.
His work on ER and Sports Night has also been recognized with Emmy nominations.
In a November 2003 interview with USA Today, Macy stated that he wanted to star in a big-budget action movie "for the money, for the security of a franchiselike that. And I love big action-adventure movies. They're way cool."[15] He serves as director-in-residence at the Atlantic Theater Company in New York, where he teaches a technique called Practical Aesthetics. A book describing the technique, A Practical Handbook for the Actor (ISBN 0-394-74412-8), is dedicated to Macy and Mamet.
In 2007, Macy starred in Wild Hogs, a film about middle-aged men reliving their youthful days by taking to the open road on their Harley-Davidson motorcycles from Cincinnati to the Pacific Coast. Despite being critically panned, with a 14% "rotten" rating from Rotten Tomatoes, it was a financial success, grossing over $168 million.[16] The film also reunited him with his A Civil Action costar, John Travolta. In 2009, Macy completed filming on The Maiden Heist, a comedy that co-starred Morgan Freeman and Christopher Walken.
On June 23, 2008, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced Macy and his wife, Felicity Huffman, would each receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the upcoming year. On January 13, 2009, Macy replaced Jeremy Pivenin David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow on Broadway. Piven suddenly and unexpectedly dropped out of the play in December 2008 after he experienced health problems; Norbert Leo Butz covered the role from December 23, 2008, until Macy took over the part.[17] Dirty Girl, which starred Macy along with Juno Temple, Milla Jovovich, Mary Steenburgen and Tim McGraw, premiered September 12, 2010 at the Toronto International Film Festival.
In summer 2010, Macy joined the Showtime pilot Shameless as the protagonist, Frank Gallagher. The project ultimately went to series, and its first season premiered on January 9, 2011. Macy has received high critical acclaim for his performance,[18] eventually getting an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2014.
In the 2012 film The Sessions, Macy played a priest who helps a man with a severe disability find personal fulfillment through a sex surrogate.[19] He made his directorial debut with the independent drama Rudderless, which stars Billy Crudup, Felicity Huffman, Selena Gomez and Laurence Fishburne. In 2017, he directed The Layover, a road trip comedy starring Alexandra Daddario and Kate Upton.
In 2015, he had a small role as Grandpa in the drama film Room, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. The film reunited him with his Pleasantville costar, Joan Allen.
== Personal life ==
Macy and actress Felicity Huffman dated on-and-off for 15 years[20] and married on September 6, 1997. They have two daughters, Sophia Grace (born December 1, 2000) and Georgia Grace (born March 14, 2002).[21][22]
Macy and Huffman appeared at a rally for John Kerry in 2004.[23][24] Macy plays the ukulele and is an avid woodturner. He has appeared on the cover of Fine Woodworking's special edition, Wood Turning Basics[25] and was featured in an article in the April 2015 issue of American Woodturner (American Association of Woodturners). He is a national ambassador for the United Cerebral Palsy Association.[26]
Since shooting the film Wild Hogs, Macy has picked up a strong interest in riding motorcycles.[19]
In March 2019, it was reported that Macy's wife Felicity Huffman had agreed to a plan to have a college admissions testing center administrator secretly change their daughter's answers on a test to improve her chances of getting into college. Huffman was indicted on fraud and conspiracy charges as part of a wider federal investigation of college admissions bribery. For undisclosed reasons,[27] no charges were filed against Macy.[28]
== Filmography ==
=== Films ===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
1980	Foolin' Around 	Bronski 	
1980	Somewhere in Time 	Critic 	
1983	Without a Trace 	Reporter 	
1985	The Last Dragon 	J. J. 	
1987	Radio Days 	Radio Actor 	
1987	House of Games 	Sgt. Moran 	
1988	Things Change 	Billy Drake 	
1991	Homicide 	Tim Sullivan 	
1993	Being Human 	Boris 	
1993	Benny & Joon 	Randy Burch 	
1993	Searching for Bobby Fischer 	Petey's Father 	
1994	The Client 	Dr. Greenway 	
1995	Murder in the First 	D.A. William McNeil 	
1995	Oleanna 	John 	
1995	Dead on Sight 	Steven Meeker 	
1995	Tall Tale 	Railroad Magnate 	Uncredited Cameo[29]
1995	Mr. Holland's Opus 	Vice Principal Gene Wolters 	
1995	Evolver 	Evolver 	Voice role
1996	Fargo 	Jerry Lundegaard 	
1996	Andersonville 	Col. Chandler 	
1996	Down Periscope 	Commander Carl Knox 	
1996	Ghosts of Mississippi 	Charlie Crisco 	
1996	Hit Me 	Policeman 	
1997	Colin Fitz Lives! 	Mr. O'Day / Colin Fitz 	
1997	Air Force One 	Major Norman Caldwell 	
1997	Boogie Nights 	Little Bill Thompson 	
1997	Wag the Dog 	CIA Agent Charles Young 	
1998	Pleasantville 	George Parker 	
1998	Psycho 	Milton Arbogast 	
1998	The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue	Justin 	Voice role
1998	A Civil Action 	James Gordon 	
1998	The Con 	Bobby Sommerdinger 	
1999	Happy, Texas 	Sheriff Chappy Dent 	
1999	Mystery Men 	The Shoveler 	
1999	A Slight Case of Murder 	Terry Thorpe 	
1999	The Night of the Headless Horseman 	Ichabod Crane 	Voice role
1999	Magnolia 	Quiz Kid Donnie Smith 	
2000	State and Main 	Walt Price 	
2000	Panic 	Alex 	
2001	Jurassic Park III 	Paul Kirby 	
2001	Focus 	Lawrence "Larry" Newman 	
2002	It's A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie 	Glenn 	
2002	Welcome to Collinwood 	Riley 	
2003	The Cooler 	Bernie Lootz 	
2003	Easy Riders, Raging Bulls 	Narrator 	Voice role
2003	Stealing Sinatra 	John Irwin 	
2003	Seabiscuit 	Tick Tock McGlaughlin 	
2004	Cellular 	Sgt. Bob Mooney 	
2004	In Enemy Hands 	Chief of Boat Nathan Travers 	
2004	Spartan 	Stoddard 	
2005	Sahara 	Admiral James Sandecker 	
2005	Edmond 	Edmond Burke 	
2005	Thank You for Smoking 	Senator Ortolan K. Finistirre	
2006	Doogal 	Brian the Snail 	Voice role
2006	Bobby 	Paul 	
2006	Everyone's Hero 	Lefty Maginnis 	Voice role
2006	Choose Your Own Adventure DVD Series 	Rudyard North 	
2006	Inland Empire 	Announcer 	
2007	Wild Hogs 	Dudley Frank 	
2007	He Was a Quiet Man 	Gene Shelby 	
2008	The Deal 	Charlie Berns 	
2008	Bart Got a Room 	Ernie Stein 	
2008	The Tale of Despereaux 	Lester 	Voice role
2009	The Maiden Heist 	George McLendon 	
2009	Shorts 	Dr. Noseworthy 	
2010	Marmaduke 	Don Twombly 	
2010	Dirty Girl 	Ray 	
2011	The Lincoln Lawyer 	Frank Levin 	
2012	The Sessions 	Father Brendan 	
2013	A Single Shot 	Pitt 	
2013	Trust Me 	Gary 	
2014	The Wind Rises 	Satomi 	Voice role (English version)
2014	Ernest & Celestine 	Head Dentist 	Voice role
2014	Rudderless 	Tavern Owner / Emcee 	Director
2014	Cake 	Leonard 	
2014	Two-Bit Waltz 	Carl 	
2015	Walter 	Dr. Corman 	
2015	Stealing Cars 	Philip Wyatt 	
2015	Room 	Robert "Grandpa" Newsome 	
2015	Dial a Prayer 	Bill 	
2016	Blood Father 	Kirby 	
2017	The Layover 	 	Director
2017	Krystal 	Wyatt 	Director
=== Television ===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes
1978 	The Awakening Land 	Will Beagle 	3 episodes
1984 	The Boy Who Loved Trolls 	Socrates the Turtle (voice) 	Television film
1985–1988 	Spencer: For Hire 	Efrem Connors 	3 episodes
1986 	Kate & Allie 	Carl 	Episode: "General Hospital"
1987 	The Equalizer 	Dr. Spaulding 	Episode: "Hand and Glove"
1988 	The Murder of Mary Phagan 	Randy 	Television film
1988 	Lip Service 	 	Television film; director only
1990 	Law & Order 	John McCormack 	Episode: "Everybody's Favorite Bagman"
1992 	Law & Order 	Powell 	Episode: "Sisters of Mercy"
1992 	The Heart of Justice 	Booth 	Television film
1992 	The Water Engine 	Charles Lang 	Television film
1993 	Bakersfield P.D. 	Russell Karp 	Episode: "Cable Does Not Pay"
1993 	L.A. Law 	Bernard Ruskin 	Episode: "Rhyme and Punishment"
1994–2009 	ER 	Dr. David Morgenstern 	31 episodes
1998 	Superman: The Animated Series	The Director 	Episode: "Where There's Smoke"
1998 	The Con 	Bobby Sommerdinger 	Television film
1998 	The Lionhearts 	Leo Lionheart 	13 episodes
1998 	King of the Hill 	Dr. Rubin (voice) 	Episode: "Pregnant Paws"
1999 	Batman Beyond 	Aaron Herbst (voice) 	Episode: "Disappearing Inque"
1999–2000 	Sports Night 	Sam Donovan 	6 episodes
2000 	Batman Beyond 	Karros (voice) 	Episode: "Big Time"
2002 	Door to Door 	Bill Porter 	Television film
2003 	Out of Order 	Steven 	6 episodes
2004 	Reversible Errors 	Arthur Raven 	Television film
2005 	The Wool Cap 	Charlie Gigot 	Television film
2006 	The Simpsons 	Himself (voice) 	Episode: "Homer's Paternity Coot"
2006 	Nightmares and Dreamscapes 	Sam Landry / Clyde Umney 	Television film
2006–07 	Curious George 	Narrator 	30 episodes
2007 	The Unit 	President of the United States	Episode: "The Broom Closet"
2011–present	Shameless 	Frank Gallagher 	Main role, 9 seasons
== Awards and nominations ==
Year	Association 	Category 	Nominated work 	Result 	Ref.
1992	Independent Spirit Awards 	Best Supporting Male 	Homicide 	Nominated	
1995	Independent Spirit Awards 	Best Male Lead 	Oleanna 	Nominated	
1997	Academy Awards 	Best Supporting Actor 	Fargo 	Nominated	
1997	Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 	Best Actor 	Fargo 	Nominated	
1997	Florida Film Critics Circle Awards 	Best Supporting Actor 	Fargo 	Nominated	
1997	Independent Spirit Awards 	Best Male Lead 	Fargo 	Won 	
1997	Primetime Emmy Awards 	Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series 	ER 	Nominated	
1997	Satellite Awards 	Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama 	Fargo 	Nominated	
1997	Screen Actors Guild Awards 	Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role 	Fargo 	Nominated	
1998	Boston Society of Film Critics Awards 	Best Supporting Actor 	A Civil Action 	Won 	
1998	Boston Society of Film Critics Awards 	Best Supporting Actor 	Pleasantville 	Won 	
1998	Boston Society of Film Critics Awards 	Best Supporting Actor 	Psycho 	Won 	
1998	Florida Film Critics Circle Awards 	Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cast 	Boogie Nights 	Won 	
1998	Screen Actors Guild Awards 	Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture 	Boogie Nights 	Nominated	
1999	American Comedy Awards 	Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture 	Pleasantville 	Nominated	
1999	National Board of Review 	Best Cast 	Magnolia 	Won 	
2000	American Comedy Awards 	Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture 	Happy, Texas 	Nominated	
2000	Florida Film Critics Circle Awards 	Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cast 	Magnolia 	Won 	
2000	National Board of Review 	Best Cast 	State and Main 	Won 	
2000	Primetime Emmy Awards 	Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series 	Sports Night 	Nominated	
2000	Primetime Emmy Awards 	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie 	A Slight Case of Murder 	Nominated	
2000	Satellite Awards 	Best Actor – Miniseries or a Television Film 	A Slight Case of Murder 	Won 	
2000	Satellite Awards 	Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture 	Happy, Texas 	Won 	
2000	Screen Actors Guild Awards 	Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture 	Magnolia 	Nominated	
2001	Florida Film Critics Circle Awards 	Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cast 	State and Main 	Won 	
2001	Online Film Critics Society Awards 	Best Cast 	State and Main 	Won 	
2003	Golden Globe Awards 	Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film 	Door to Door 	Nominated	
2003	Primetime Emmy Awards 	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie 	Door to Door 	Won 	
2003	Primetime Emmy Awards 	Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special 	Door to Door 	Won 	
2003	Satellite Awards 	Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film 	Door to Door 	Won 	
2003	Screen Actors Guild Awards 	Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie	Door to Door 	Won 	
2004	Golden Globe Awards 	Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture 	Seabiscuit 	Nominated	
2004	Primetime Emmy Awards 	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie 	Stealing Sinatra 	Nominated	
2004	Satellite Awards 	Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama 	The Cooler 	Nominated	
2004	Screen Actors Guild Awards 	Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture 	Seabiscuit 	Nominated	
2005	Golden Globe Awards 	Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film 	The Wool Cap 	Nominated	
2005	Primetime Emmy Awards 	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie 	The Wool Cap 	Nominated	
2005	Primetime Emmy Awards 	Outstanding Made for Television Movie 	The Wool Cap 	Nominated	
2005	Satellite Awards 	Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film 	Stealing Sinatra 	Won 	
2005	Screen Actors Guild Awards 	Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie	The Wool Cap 	Nominated	
2006	Hollywood Film Festival 	Best Cast 	Bobby 	Won 	
2007	Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards	Best Cast 	Bobby 	Nominated	
2007	Primetime Emmy Awards 	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie 	Nightmares and Dreamscapes 	Nominated	
2007	Screen Actors Guild Awards 	Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture 	Bobby 	Nominated	
2007	Screen Actors Guild Awards 	Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie	Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King	Nominated	
2011	Critics' Choice Television Awards 	Best Actor in a Drama Series 	Shameless 	Nominated	
2011	Satellite Awards 	Best Actor – Television Series Drama 	Shameless 	Nominated	
2012	Prism Awards 	Best Performance in a Comedy Series 	Shameless 	Won 	
2014	Primetime Emmy Awards 	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series 	Shameless 	Nominated	
2015	Golden Globe Award 	Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy 	Shameless 	Nominated	
2015	Screen Actors Guild Awards 	Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series 	Shameless 	Won 	
2015	Primetime Emmy Awards 	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series 	Shameless 	Nominated	
2016	Screen Actors Guild Awards 	Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series 	Shameless 	Won 	
2016	Primetime Emmy Award 	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series 	Shameless 	Nominated	
2017	Primetime Emmy Award 	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series 	Shameless 	Nominated	
2018	Golden Globe Award 	Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy 	Shameless 	Nominated	[30][31][32][33]
2018	Screen Actors Guild Award 	Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series 	Shameless 	Won 	
2018	Primetime Emmy Awards 	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series 	Shameless 	Nominated	
==Filmography In Idea Wiki ==
*MoeMom (TV Series) - Clancy Jundergaard
Category:1950s births
Category:Actors