William H Macy

William Hall Macy Jr., born March 13, 1950, is an American actor and filmmaker. A two-time Emmy Award and four-time Screen Actors Guild Award winner, he has also been nominated for an Academy Award and five Golden Globe Awards. Macy gained recognition for his stage collaborations with playwright David Mamet before earning critical acclaim for his film breakthrough as Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo (1996). He is also widely recognized for his television roles as Dr. David Morgenstern on ER and Frank Gallagher on Shameless.

Macy was born in Miami, Florida, and raised in Georgia and Maryland. His father was a decorated World War II bomber pilot who later ran an insurance agency, and his mother was a war widow. Macy graduated from Allegany High School in 1968 and initially studied veterinary medicine at Bethany College. He transferred to Goddard College in Vermont, studying under David Mamet and graduating in 1972, before continuing his theater studies at HB Studio in New York City.

After college, Macy moved to Chicago and co-founded the St. Nicholas Theater Company in 1972 with Mamet, Patricia Cox, and Steven Schachter. He worked as a carpenter and bartender while originating roles in Mamet's plays. Macy moved to New York City in 1980, appearing in over fifty Broadway and Off-Broadway plays. He took early screen roles under the name W. H. Macy, including Somewhere in Time and appearances on television series such as Kate & Allie and Law & Order, while continuing to act in Mamet's films like House of Games and Oleanna.

His role in Fargo earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and launched a prolific film career. Throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, Macy appeared in films including Boogie Nights, Air Force One, Magnolia, Mystery Men, Jurassic Park III, Seabiscuit, The Cooler, Thank You for Smoking, Bobby, and Wild Hogs. On television, his recurring roles in ER and Sports Night earned him Emmy nominations, and he won two Emmy Awards for writing and starring in the 2002 film Door to Door.

From 2011 to 2021, Macy starred as Frank Gallagher in the series Shameless, earning an Emmy nomination in 2014. His later film appearances include The Sessions, Room, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and The Running Man. Macy made his film directorial debut with the drama Rudderless in 2014, followed by The Layover in 2017. He also serves as director-in-residence at the Atlantic Theater Company.

Macy married actress Felicity Huffman in 1997, and the couple has two daughters. In 2009, both Macy and Huffman received stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Outside of acting, Macy plays the ukulele, is an avid woodturner, rides motorcycles, and serves as a national ambassador for the United Cerebral Palsy Association.