Name: How William H. Macy SHOCKED The Cast Of Shameless
Uploaded: 2025-11-22T14:01:22.000Z
Description: Watch the stand-up comedy video 'How William H. Macy SHOCKED The Cast Of Shameless' from TAFS Clips on Comedy Buff. Published 2025-11-22. Transcript available.

Watch the stand-up comedy video 'How William H. Macy SHOCKED The Cast Of Shameless' from TAFS Clips on Comedy Buff. Published 2025-11-22. Transcript available.

You want to hear a great story?
Yes.
It became clear that Shameless was going to run for a while, I think about the
fourth
or fifth season.
We were selling them like hotcakes.
And Felicity, my wife, said, "What are you going to do next season?
What are you going to work on next season?"
I said, "What do you mean?"
She said, "Well, you've got this lab.
You get to act every day.
You get to act all this stuff, do you have a goal, something you want to work
on?"
I married very well and I said, "Good God, you're right, I hadn't thought about
it."
And it sounds trite and it sounds mundane, but one of the foundations of acting
is to really
look and really listen and to a certain extent really talk.
Really talk to someone.
And to react to what someone else is doing.
No, you can let that go.
You can let it go.
You can let that go.
Okay.
Write that down.
But to really look and really listen.
So I decided in that next season, I would really look and really listen.
And it turns out that's not something you can make a decision and then for the
next 10 episodes
or 12 episodes, you'll do it.
You have to remind yourself before every single, not only scene, every take.
You've got to remind yourself, because everything is trying to push your
attention back on yourself.
Everything.
And this is what happened.
I would do, we would do a take and I would go, "God, Bill, really look and
really listen."
So we'd do the second take and I would really look at my fellow actor and nine
times out of 10, they would go, "I'm sorry, you've got a cut.
I have no idea what my line is, sorry, it just went up on my lines."
You're getting in their heads.
They saw me really looking at them and they went, "What's going on?"
Really?
Yeah.
So did they have to account for that or did they?
I don't think they ever knew.
It's because I was really looking at them rather than actor looking at them.
Right.
As a guy.
As the guy.
As the guy, yeah.
As the guy.
As me.
As you.
Yeah.
That's the difference.
There is no character.
This is another tenant of this thing.
I like this.
This makes a whole lot more sense than this like, yeah, when you were three,
you pissed yourself
and that you have to bring this into your scene where you're playing some sort
of Marvel superhero.
It doesn't make any sense.
It's like.
I don't think it's possible either.
It's so cultish.
I know for me, when everybody gets quiet and the camera starts rolling, I've
got all
I can do.
Yeah.
To get the lines out properly and to really look at someone and improvise with
them.
Throw them a curveball.
See what they do.
Figure out what I'm going to do based on that.
Yeah.
I can't think of another thing to do.
So the idea of bringing forth the time Sparky got run over.
I can't do that.
Or even if you do it before the scene, it's gone.
You're like a guy going to the office.
And you're doing your job and you're focusing on your fucking job.
Yeah.
It's a craft.
Yeah.
It's really a craft.
If you do it well enough, it's an art, but ain't everything.
Yeah.
I can't remember that the idea of character is a trick.
We play on the audience as a magician would and the audience says, yes, trick
me again.
Yeah.
I think that that is like an articulation of acting that is like the most down
to earth articulation
of the craft that I think I've ever heard a performer get.
That's why Atlantic Theatre Company, which has a school, they call it practical
aesthetics.
Yeah.
With the emphasis being on practical.
Is it annoying to work with a guy that's just like fully method and he's like,
and you're
like eating lunch with him and you're like, come on, dude.
I have.
Come on, dude.
This is one of the things I learned in.
Stop it.
We're not actually ninjas.
Okay.
Yeah.
Right.
We're adults wearing costumes.
President Lincoln, it's for you.
Who was like that?
Like, is there anyone in particular that was like that?
Oh, sure.
It's a common story that they want to be the character.
Brando was like that, right?
Nah, I don't know.
Off stage?
I'm not sure.
I've never heard that.
He's the best.
He's the best.
He's been your hero throughout your career.
In theory, Meryl Streep could be bad.
But she's never been bad yet.
Oh.
She can do anything.
I'd love to work with her if she's listening.
The aforementioned Jane Hackman, a genius actor.
Never saw him be bad.
There's a whole bunch of them, man.
You guys are good.
Acting's gotten better.
I mean, it was just 75 years ago when, to show that you were upset, you went
like this.
That's not that long ago that that was acting, and look where we are now.
There's a movie I really like with you that I don't know if anyone remembers.
Especially not these boys.
They were born after 9/11.
You were?
Yeah.
That's crazy.
Anyway.
My hemorrhoid just acted up when he said that.
You gave him a hemorrhoid.
No, he's had it, but it just hurt when he said that.
Why'd you hurt his man role?
The cooler.
Fabulous.
What a good movie.
Fabulous.
You kind of returned kind of to your broken man.
And I'll tell you, they sent me the cooler, and I thought, nope, if I do this,
I'm just
going to be Jerry Lundergaard for the rest of my life, the hapless loser.
I don't want to play that role.
Because in real life, you're one of the coolest guys I've ever met.
I think so, too.
Maybe they named it that to trick you into thinking he was a cool guy.
Yeah.
It's a movie about a cool guy.
God bless Ed Pressman, who I'm pretty sure I had that right, was the producer.
He wouldn't take no for an answer.
And the director, they just hounded me, and I'm a little glad I did it.
And you guys should see it, if not for me, for Maria Bello.
She is just stunning.
It's a really touching love story there.
Yeah.
It's a movie about a casino who hires a guy who's such a loser that his loserdom
actually
radiates towards the guy at the table.
The casino has hired me.
If someone's at blackjack and winning all the time, all I've got to do is sit
down.
And he has to go sit there and have a drink, and then the guy starts losing.
There's a scene of a guy throwing craps, and he's winning every time.
And I just walk by in my ill-fitting suit, schlumped by, and I just put my hand
on the table, and I walk away.
And as soon as I walk away, you hear, "Awww!"
Well, you're 75 now?
I'm 75.
You look fucking great.
Oh, thanks.
How'd you do it?
No drinking?
No smoking?
I own a distillery.
I don't own the whole thing.
Woody Creek Distillers.
Nope.
I love to drink.
You love to drink?
Why do you look so good?
Beats me.
I think I can thank mom and dad.
And every woman I've ever gone out with exercised like crazy, so I did it too.
And Felicity is no exception.
And then about 22 years, 24 years ago, 22 years ago, we hired a trainer in L.A.
And we've had the same trainer for 22 years, and I'm still working with her.
So I work out.
You work out?
I work out, and I gave up meat maybe 10 years ago.
Uh-huh.
And I'm cutting back on the drinking, 'cause it's hard on you.
Oh, I was gonna say, after this weekend.
I know it's...
Oh, okay.
It's like a...
What time is it?
It's noon?
It's 12 o'clock somewhere, dude.
It's 12 o'clock.
It is literally probably 12 o'clock right now.
Yeah.
Personally, once you're engaged with your work, I feel this way right now.
I don't really ever want to stop doing work.
I hear ya.
You know?
And so what motivates you looking ahead?
Future challenges?
You've directed, of course.
Mm-hmm.
You've written.
Mm-hmm.
But, like, what's, like, what is...
You know, what are you searching for?
Or are you content, like, just drinking in Colorado?
Well...
When I took off some time, it turns out I'm not good at that.
I need some sort of creative challenge.
It's the way I've always challenged myself in my life, and I think I need that.
Turns out I'm not as rich as I thought I was, too.
And, uh...
What did she do?
Who?
Your...
Your wife.
She bought a boat?
No, no, no.
Okay.
She makes more money than I do.
No.
I just...
I like...
I like to live large.
And, uh...
You do?
I do.
I do.
You're a very, very, very, very presentatious gentleman?
No, but we have...
We still have a house in L.A. and one in...
In Woody Creek.
And, uh...
That's expensive.
And, uh...
Yeah.
I like not looking at the check.
Just go anywhere.
Me neither.
I don't know how much money I have.
Just sign.
Yeah.
It's a great feeling.
They'll call me when I'm out.
I've got two daughters.
And, you know, I'd love to make sure that they can do anything in their lives
that they
want to.
Yeah.
I agree with Warren Buffett.
I want to give them enough money they can do anything they want to, but not
enough to
do nothing.