[[quoteright:305:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/william_h_macy_6269.jpg]]

->''"If I like the story and it's well written, and it's a character I want to play and they'll pay me, then I decide to do it."''

William Hall Macy Jr. (born March 13, 1950 in Miami, Florida) is an American actor, screenwriter, teacher and director in theater, film and television.

He is probably best known for his UsefulNotes/AcademyAward-nominated role in Creator/TheCoenBrothers' masterpiece ''Film/{{Fargo}}'', although prior to that his career was strong and built on both small independant films and action movie blockbusters. With his [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Ned Flanders]] appearance and unassuming voice, Macy is often cast as middle-class ineffectual types although he has played a variety of different roles out of that spectrum. He describes himself, accurately, as "sort of a Middle American, [[WhiteAngloSaxonProtestant WASPy]], Lutheran kind of guy... [[TheEveryman Everyman]]".

Macy has been nominated for nine UsefulNotes/{{Emmy Award}}s and seven Screen Actors Guild Awards, winning two of the former and one of the latter. He is also a three-time UsefulNotes/GoldenGlobeAward nominee. Since 2011 he has played the main antagonist in the Showtime television series ''[[Series/{{ShamelessUS}} Shameless]]''.

Macy and actress Creator/FelicityHuffman have been married since 1997.
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!!Filmography on this wiki
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Film Roles]]
* 1980 ''Film/SomewhereInTime'' as Critic
* 1983 ''Film/{{Without a Trace|1983}}'' as Reporter
* 1983 ''Film/WarGames'' as NORAD Officer ({{uncredited|role}})
* 1985 ''Film/TheLastDragon'' as J.J.
* 1987 ''Film/RadioDays'' as Radio Actor
* 1987 ''Film/HouseOfGames'' as Sgt. Morgan
* 1988 ''Film/ThingsChange'' as Billy Drake
* 1991 ''Film/{{Homicide|1991}}'' as Tim Sullivan
* 1991 ''Film/ShadowsAndFog'' as Cop with Spiro
* 1993 ''Film/TwentyBucks'' as Policeman
* 1993 ''Film/BennyAndJoon'' as Randy Burch
* 1993 ''Film/SearchingForBobbyFischer'' as Petey's Father
* 1994 ''Film/TheClient'' as Dr. Greenway
* 1995 ''Film/{{Evolver}}'' as the voice of Evolver
* 1995 ''Film/MurderInTheFirst'' as D.A. William [=McNeil=]
* 1995 ''Film/TallTale'' as Railroad Magnate (uncredited)
* 1995 ''Film/{{Above Suspicion|1995}}'' as Prosecuting Atty. Schultz (also writer)
* 1995 ''Film/MrHollandsOpus'' as Vice Principal Gene Wolters
* 1996 ''Film/{{Fargo}}'' as Jerry Lundegaard
* 1996 ''Film/DownPeriscope'' as Commander Carl Knox
* 1996 ''Film/GhostsOfMississippi'' as Charlie Crisco
* 1996 ''Film/{{Andersonville}}'' as Colonel Chandler
* 1997 ''Film/AirForceOne'' as Major Norman Caldwell
* 1997 ''Film/BoogieNights'' as Little Bill
* 1997 ''Film/WagTheDog'' as CIA Agent Charles Young
* 1998 ''Film/{{Pleasantville}}'' as George Parker
* 1998 ''Film/{{Psycho|1998}}'' as Milton Arbogast
* 1998 ''Film/ACivilAction'' as James Gordon
* 1999 ''Film/HappyTexas'' as Sheriff Chappy Dent
* 1999 ''Film/MysteryMen'' as The Shoveler
* 1999 ''Film/{{Magnolia}}'' as Quiz Kid Donnie Smith
* 2000 ''Film/StateAndMain'' as Walt Price
* 2001 ''Film/JurassicParkIII'' as Paul Kirby
* 2002 ''Film/ItsAVeryMerryMuppetChristmasMovie'' as Glenn
* 2003 ''Film/TheCooler'' as Bernie Lootz
* 2003 ''Film/{{Seabiscuit}}'' as Tick Tock [=McGlaughlin=]
* 2004 ''Film/{{Cellular}}'' as Mooney
* 2004 ''Film/InEnemyHands'' as Chief of Boat Nathan Travers
* 2004 ''Film/{{Spartan}}'' as Stoddard
* 2005 ''Film/{{Sahara|2005}}'' as Admiral James Sandecker
* 2005 ''Film/{{Edmond|2005}}'' as Edmond Burke
* 2005 ''Film/ThankYouForSmoking'' as Senator Ortolan K. Finistirre
* 2006 ''[[WesternAnimation/TheMagicRoundabout2005 Doogal]]'' as Brian
* 2006 ''Film/{{Bobby}}'' as Paul Ebbers
* 2007 ''Film/WildHogs'' as Dudley Frank
* 2008 ''[[Film/TheDeal2008 The Deal]]'' as Charlie Berns
* 2008 ''WesternAnimation/TheTaleOfDespereaux'' as Lester
* 2009 ''Film/TheMaidenHeist'' as George
* 2010 ''Film/{{Marmaduke}}'' as Don Twombly
* 2011 ''Literature/TheLincolnLawyer'' as Frank Levin
* 2012 ''Film/TheSessions'' as Father Brendan
* 2014 ''Film/{{Cake|2014}}'' as Leonard
* 2015 ''Literature/{{Room}}'' as Robert "Grandpa" Newsome
* 2017 ''Film/TheLayover'' (director, making this his directorial debut)
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[[folder:Television Roles]]
* 1994–2009 ''Series/{{ER}}'' as Dr. David Morgenstern
* 1998 ''WesternAnimation/TheLionhearts'' as Leo Lionheart
* 1998 ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' as the Director (1 episode)
* 1999–2000 ''Series/SportsNight'' as Sam Donovan
* 1999, 2000 ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' as Aaron Herbst and Karros
* 2006–2007 ''WesternAnimation/CuriousGeorge'' as The Narrator (replaced by Creator/RinoRomano from season 2 onward)
* 2011–2021 ''Series/{{Shameless|US}}'' as Frank Gallagher
* 2022 ''Series/TheDropout'' as Richard Fuisz
[[/folder]]

!!Tropes

* TheChewToy: In several films, it's a particular ''joy'' to watch his characters be sad and pathetic, which they often are, like in ''Fargo'' and ''Boogie Nights''. It's such a RunningGag that he plays losers that he plays a ''professional'' loser who's such a loser he makes other people lose in ''Film/TheCooler''.
* TheEveryman: Often plays such roles, finding the darkness within the unassuming, put-upon Working Joes, notable examples would be roles like in ''Fargo'' and ''Pleasantville'', which play on that.
* HappilyMarried: To Felicity Huffman since 1997.
* PlayingAgainstType:
** In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' he voiced a ruthless mercenary who was able to take on Batman in hand-to-hand combat with none of the pathetic or everyman traits of his usual characters. It’s especially noticeable since he had voiced a character more in line with his usual type in another episode.
** In ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' he voiced a powerful psychic who ran a center that helped kids with superpowers learn to control their powers.
** In ''Film/{{Seabiscuit}}'' he played a fast-talking, charismatic radio host.
** His longest running character of Frank Gallagher in the [[Series/ShamelessUS American adaptation of Shameless]] is a substance-abusing reprobate who can be as eloquent as he is depraved.
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