BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
(FOUR) SPORTS NIGHT
This Aaron Sorkin show was too ahead of it’s time for the late 90’s. The tone was weird, the comedy was smart, and the acting was really good. The show had a pretty cool flow going for awhile. Then out of nowhere, William H. Macy showed up as a dry and sharp “Ratings Advisor” in the second season. It’s not like he was there a whole lot, but I really liked how his character came in and integrated with the other cast members.
(THREE) FARGO
This was really the movie that put the dude on the radar. I know he was around before this, but not on many radars. He rocked it as the creepy car salesman that hired criminals to kidnap his wife. Things go horribly wrong in ways only the Coen brothers can paint for us. Macy was just really good in this.
(TWO) THE COOLER
I doubt a lot of people have seen this 2003 movie. I caught it on IFC a few years ago late at night. Macy is a “cooler”, a man with such bad luck and negative energy that a casino will hire him to literally just stand by players on a hot streak. Just by being there, their luck changed and the casino wouldn’t lose too much. The movie rocks. Alec Baldwin plays the crazy casino owner. The rest of the supporting cast is cool too. Macy makes you feel sorry for the character and you really share in the misery. Somehow, this is still fun.
(ONE) SHAMELESS
He’s only one season in on this Showtime series, but it was a really good season. It’s a character he was born to play. He’s a drunk dead beat dad who lives with his resourceful kids. He’s such an unlikeable dude, but he plays the character with a certain grace and charm that makes it hard to hate him. When he goes overboard or is too much of an asshole you feel more disappointed than anything. He’s like a modern mill/factory worker version of Archie Bunker.
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