So much of the violence in the movies is b.s. violence: A guy in the middle of a large city with 14 people lying on the ground that he's just killed with his superhuman powers, and there's not a cop to be found. Not a siren to be heard. No price to be paid. That's not true, and I don't like that sort of stuff.

William H. Macy

Categorized in : People Lying Cities

Shameless is a rough show, and it’s not for everyone, but it’s also beautiful.

William H. Macy

shameless rough beautiful

I'll tell you this about the Oscars - they're real.

William H. Macy

oscars real

I was a dog in a past life. Really. I'll be walking down the street and dogs will do a sort of double take. Like, Hey, I know him.

William H. Macy

pet dog past

You have to do whatever you can to limit the things that could make you feel insecure.

William H. Macy

insecure limits feels

Emotions are the natural result of striving for something. Every single scene has two or more people in it, and nobody wants the same thing, so they are negotiating this one way or another. The result of that negotiation will bring out all kinds of emotional stuff in you.

William H. Macy

emotional two people

I think what all actors share is that, somewhere down in your solar plexus, there's this fear that you're not going to be able to come up with the goods, that this is the one movie where you're going to look like a fool, and they should have cast someone else. And you feel ugly, and you've got three chins, and you've gained too much weight, and you're losing your hair, and there are so many better actors who could do this. But if you've got chops, what you realize is that everybody feels that way, so just show up and do the job.

William H. Macy

hair jobs thinking

I love metaphor the way some people love junk food.

William H. Macy

junk people way

The emotions will take care of themselves. You don't have to prod them along. As a matter of fact, you get in trouble when you prod them along.

William H. Macy

care matter facts

It's hard to be depressed around a ukulele. You just pick it up and you're halfway home.

William H. Macy

halfway ukulele home

You should know the lines, be prepared, get sleep, and have the script analyzed so you're ready to rock and roll.

William H. Macy

rock-and-roll rocks sleep

There are some older women out there who are just knockouts, real beauties, and they're not getting the roles they should.

William H. Macy

roles real should

You'd much rather act with a pal, someone you know really well. That way, you can cut all the niceties and go right to insulting each other.

William H. Macy

pals cutting insulting

We always want to see people strive and see the human spirit triumph against adversity. That's what it's all about because that's what we're doing. We're trying to triumph in our lives.

William H. Macy

adversity trying people

Actors are embracing a new aesthetic, which is leaning more toward truthful and simple and direct, as opposed to what we would normally call sitcom acting.

William H. Macy

actors acting simple

I've always felt that, no matter where you go, people are just people.

William H. Macy

felt matter people

The roughest part is showing up. Once you throw yourself into the scene, it's just great fun to let it all go and not be self-conscious, and stop questioning whether you're sufficient.

William H. Macy

showing-up self fun

I really love hanging out on the set, and I love the life, and all of that. But I don't think I could stick with this profession if it weren't for those 15 minutes a day when I get to act. That's the part I love. For some strange reason, it's the time that I'm the least self-conscious in my whole life.

William H. Macy

sticks self thinking

We must admit that it is quite common that people do have affairs with their leading ladies and men.

William H. Macy

common men people

All that back-story stuff doesn't help. What you get paid for is to stand toe-to-toe with the other actor and get him to do your will.

William H. Macy

actors stories stuff

The character and the actor in a long-running series slowly become one. I think there must be funny stories about actors who, in the pilot for a TV series, did some weird thing with their eyes, or some speech impediment or something, and the next thing you know, it's eight years later, and they're still doing that freaking gag.

William H. Macy

eye running character