William H. Macy
Known for
William H. Macy has spent his career perfecting the American loser with dignity intact. A Miami-born actor trained under David Mamet in Chicago, he became indelible as the flailing car salesman Jerry Lundegaard in 'Fargo' (1996), which earned him an Oscar nomination. He deepened that vein of desperate ordinary men in 'Boogie Nights' (1997) and 'Magnolia' (1999), then found his largest audience as the magnificently dissolute patriarch Frank Gallagher across eleven seasons of 'Shameless' (2011-2021). Recent work includes 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' (2024). Few actors make weakness so watchable, or so human.
William H. Macy
94 Movies
25 Series
William H. Macy has spent his career perfecting the American loser with dignity intact. A Miami-born actor trained under David Mamet in Chicago, he became indelible as the flailing car salesman Jerry Lundegaard in 'Fargo' (1996), which earned him an Oscar nomination. He deepened that vein of desperate ordinary men in 'Boogie Nights' (1997) and 'Magnolia' (1999), then found his largest audience as the magnificently dissolute patriarch Frank Gallagher across eleven seasons of 'Shameless' (2011-2021). Recent work includes 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' (2024). Few actors make weakness so watchable, or so human.
Movies
Plays Molie
The Running Man
2025
Plays Trevathan
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
2024
Plays Frank Levin
The Lincoln Lawyer
2011
Plays Jerry Lundegaard
Fargo
1996
Plays Little Bill
Boogie Nights
1997
Plays Arn Peeples
Train Dreams
2025
Plays Robert
Room
2015
Plays Quiz Kid Donnie Smith
Magnolia
1999
Plays Major Caldwell
Air Force One
1997
Plays Lester (voice)
The Tale of Despereaux
2008
Plays Dr. Greenway
The Client
1994
Plays Summerhayes
Ricky Stanicky
2024
Plays Senator Ortolan Finistirre
Thank You for Smoking
2005
Plays Don Twombly
Marmaduke
2010
Plays Leonard
Cake
2014
Plays Dudley Frank
Wild Hogs
2007
Plays Milton Arbogast
Psycho
1998
Plays Lefty Maginnis (voice)
Everyone's Hero
2006
Plays Admiral Jim Sandecker
Sahara
2005
Plays Sgt. Bob Mooney
Cellular
2004
Plays Announcer
Inland Empire
2006
Plays Captain Knox
Down Periscope
1996
Plays Sam
Maybe I Do
2023
Plays George Parker
Pleasantville
1998
Plays Ray
Dirty Girl
2010
Plays Tick Tock McGlaughlin
Seabiscuit
2003
Plays Edmond
Edmond
2006
Plays Father Brendan
The Sessions
2012
Plays Vice Principal Gene Wolters
Mr. Holland's Opus
1995
Plays Critic [1972]
Somewhere in Time
1980
Plays Father Novak
Speed Demon
2026
Plays Kirby Curtis
Blood Father
2016
Plays Bill McNeill
Murder in the First
1995
Plays Alex
Panic
2000
Plays CIA Agent Charles Young
Wag the Dog
1997
Plays James Gordon
A Civil Action
1998
Plays Bronski
Foolin' Around
1980
Plays Glenn
It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
2002
Plays Railroad Magnate
Tall Tale: The Unbelievable Adventure
1995
Plays Riley
Welcome to Collinwood
2002
Plays Randy Burch
Benny & Joon
1993
Plays Shoveler / Eddie
Mystery Men
1999
Plays Property Clerk
Twenty Bucks
1993
Plays Tunafish Father
Searching for Bobby Fischer
1993
Plays J.J.
The Last Dragon
1985
Plays Sgt. John Moran
House of Games
1987
Producer
Plays Chief Krueger
The Deputy
2026
Plays George McLendon
The Maiden Heist
2009
Plays Stoddard
Spartan
2004
Plays Justin (voice)
The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue
1999
TV Shows
Director
Plays Frank Gallagher
Shameless
2011
Plays Narrator (voice)
Curious George
2006
Plays David Morgenstern
ER
1994
Plays Leo (voice)
The Lionhearts
1998
Plays Hank Durkin
The Land
2027
Plays Sam Donovan
Sports Night
1998
Plays Steven
Out of Order
2003
Plays Richard Fuisz
The Dropout
2022
Plays Will Beagle
The Awakening Land
1978
Plays Randy
The Murder of Mary Phagan
1988
Plays Col. Chandler
Andersonville
1996
Plays Aaron Herbst (voice)
Batman Beyond
1999
Plays Assistant U.S. Attorney John McCormack
Law & Order
1990
Plays Frank Gallagher
Shameless Hall of Shame
2020
Plays Russell Karp
Bakersfield P.D.
1993
Plays Clyde Umney / Sam Landry / George Demmick
Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King
2006
Plays Bernard Ruskin
L.A. Law
1986
Plays President of the United States
The Unit
2006
Plays Dr. Spaulding
The Equalizer
1985
Plays Director (voice)
Superman: The Animated Series
1996
Plays Skoot (voice)
The Wild Thornberrys
1998
Plays Ralph (voice)
Frasier
1993
Plays Dr. Rubin (voice)
King of the Hill
1997
Plays William H. Macy (voice)
The Simpsons
1989
Plays Raymond
Accused
2023
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
The Deputy
Full Filmography
The Land
Hank Durkin · 10 episodes
2027
TV
The Deputy
Chief Krueger
2026
Film
Speed Demon
Father Novak
2026
Film
Frontier Crucible
Major O'Rourke
2025
Film
The Running Man
Molie
2025
Film
Train Dreams
Arn Peeples
2025
Film
Soul on Fire
Jack Buck
2025
Film
Accused
Raymond · 1 episode
2024
TV
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Trevathan
2024
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is William H. Macy and where are they from?
William H. Macy is 76 years old, born on March 13, 1950 in Miami, Florida, USA.
What are the most famous roles of William H. Macy?
William H. Macy is best known for roles in Room, Fargo, Jurassic Park III.
How many movies has William H. Macy been in?
Over a 46-year career (since 1980), William H. Macy has appeared in 93 movies and 24 TV shows.
What was William H. Macy's first movie?
The career of William H. Macy began with Somewhere in Time (1980).
What is William H. Macy's most recent movie or series?
William H. Macy's most recent release is The Deputy, which premiered on September 25, 2026.
What TV shows has William H. Macy appeared in?
On television, William H. Macy has appeared in The Simpsons, Shameless, ER, Frasier.
William H. Macy
1950-03-13 · Miami, Florida, USA
William H. Macy (born March 13, 1950) is an American actor and writer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo. He is also a teacher and director in theater, film and television. His film career has been built mostly on his appearances in small, independent films, though he has appeared in summer action films as well. Macy gained widespread popularity for portraying Frank Gallagher in Showtime's comedy-drama series Shameless (2011–2021). Macy has described his screen persona as "sort of a Middle American, WASPy, Lutheran kind of guy... Everyman". He has won two Emmy Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award, being nominated for nine Emmy Awards and seven Screen Actors Guild Awards in total. He is also a three-time Golden Globe Award nominee.