William H. Macy: The Biography of Fargo's Leading Actor

William H. Macy needs no introduction. The award-winning actor, and budding director, is one of the most consistent faces in Hollywood and has appeared in several unforgettable projects. Additionally, Macy is also better known as the husband of distinguished Hollywood actress, Felicity Huffman. Huffman garnered some unwanted publicity in 2019 when she was fingered in a college admission scam. Find out more about Macy here including his bio and age, net worth and whether he is dead?

William Hall Macy Jr. was born on the 13th of March 1950 in Miami, Florida. His father was a distinguished WWII fighter pilot named William Hall Macy Sr. while his mother was a southern belle named Lois. The actor also has a half-brother named Fred Merrill Jr. Macy spent his formative years in places such as Georgia and Maryland, and obtained his diploma from Allegany High School in 1968. He thereafter moved to Goddard College (Vermont) where he studied under writer/director, and future mentor, David Mamet. On completing his studies in 1972, William H. Macy and his mentor headed to Chicago and founded the St Nicholas Theatre Company. Macy took part in several plays staged at the theatre before relocating to New York City in the 80s. In the Big Apple, Macy accumulated a string of minor roles in various movies and TV series. The Miami native also featured in numerous Broadway and off-Broadway productions.

William H. Macy got his well-deserved breakthrough in 1996 when he was cast in the leading role in Fargo. Fargo is a black comedy about a disgruntled salesman, Jerry, who hires two lowlifes to kidnap his wife in a bid to extort a hefty ransom from his wealthy father-in-law. Jerry’s well-laid plans however turn awry as his goons embark on a bunch of roadside homicides. Macy played the role of Jerry and Fargo was both a critical and commercial success; winning the Oscar award for best original screenplay. Since his breakthrough on Fargo, William H. Macy has gone on to feature in other movies such as Wild Hogs, A Civil Action, The Maiden Heist, The Sessions, Air Force One, Sahara, Jurassic Park III, Panic, Texas, Psycho and Happy. Macy has also appeared in TV shows such as ER, The Lionhearts, Curious George, Out of Order, and Shameless.

Macy has a net worth estimated at $45 million. His wealth largely stems from his Hollywood career. Asides acting, the Fargo star is also a budding director and his directorial credits including Rudderless (2014) and The Layover (2017). Macy has received several accolades in the course of his career. They include best male lead at the 1997 Independent Spirit Awards, the 2003 SAG Award for outstanding performance by a male actor in a miniseries or TV movie, the 2003 Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding lead actor in a miniseries or TV movie, and the 2015, 2017 and 2018 SAG Awards for outstanding performance by a male actor in a comedy series. Macy has also garnered not less than five Golden Globe nominations, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012.

William H Macy has been married on two occasions. His first marriage was to Hollywood producer, Carla Santos Shamberg, in 1980. The union lasted for five years and the couple divorced in 1985. Macy is now married to distinguished Hollywood actress, Felicity Huffman. The couple first met in New York in the early 80s and bonded over their shared love of acting. They later commenced a relationship, and dated on and off for an astonishing 15 years, before tying the knot in September 1997. The couple now have two children namely Sophia Grace (b. December 2000) and Georgia Grace (b. March 2002).

Macy is very much alive and is still doing what he knows best. The award-winning actor however found himself embroiled in a scandal in March 2019. It was alleged that his wife, Huffman, had paid the sum of $15,000 to a dubious charity. This was to have their daughter’s SAT scores increased so that she could get admission into a top-ranked institution. It was also alleged that Macy was privy to some of the meetings between the scammers and his wife. Huffman was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and services mail fraud while Macy was not charged with any crime. Some analyst said that this may be due to insufficient evidence against him. They have also stated that the fact that he had knowledge of the deal does not make him an active participant.