William H. Macy

William H. Macy began his career on stage, originating roles in David Mamet's plays American Buffalo and The Water Engine. After moving to New York City in 1980, he appeared in more than 50 Off-Broadway and Broadway productions. He made his screen debut in Somewhere in Time (1980) and appeared in The Boy Who Loved Trolls (1984). Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, he frequently collaborated with Mamet, appearing in House of Games (1987), Things Change (1988), Homicide (1991), Oleanna (1994), Wag the Dog (1997), State and Main (2000), and Spartan (2004).

Macy's breakthrough came with Fargo (1996). His extensive film credits include Benny & Joon (1993), The Client (1994), Above Suspicion (1995), Mr. Holland's Opus (1995), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Air Force One (1997), Boogie Nights (1997), A Civil Action (1998), Pleasantville (1998), Psycho (1998), Happy, Texas (1999), Mystery Men (1999), Magnolia (1999), Panic (2000), Jurassic Park III (2001), Focus (2001), Welcome to Collinwood (2002), Seabiscuit (2003), The Cooler (2003), Cellular (2004), Sahara (2005), Everyone's Hero (2006), Bobby (2006), Wild Hogs (2007), The Maiden Heist (2009), Dirty Girl (2010), The Sessions (2012), Room (2015), and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024), and Train Dreams (2025).

On television, Macy had recurring roles on ER (1994–2009) and Sports Night (1999–2000). He wrote and starred in the television film Door to Door (2002), earning Emmy Awards for both writing and acting. In 2009, he returned to Broadway in David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow. He began starring as Frank Gallagher in the Showtime series Shameless in 2011, receiving an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2014.

Macy made his directorial debut with Rudderless (2014) and later directed the comedy The Layover (2017). He also serves as director-in-residence at New York's Atlantic Theater Company, where he teaches the Practical Aesthetics acting technique.