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32-625: There are two fundamental pillars of the technique: Think before you act, and Act before you think. The approach is further broken down into essential questions that relate to concepts of action and moment. The technique originated and developed at the Atlantic Theater Company and Atlantic Acting School in New York City. The book, A Practical Handbook for the Actor , written by members of the Atlantic Theater Company, outlines

64-1106: A B-17 Flying Fortress bomber in World War II ; he later ran a construction company in Atlanta, Georgia , and worked for Dun & Bradstreet before taking over a Cumberland, Maryland –based insurance agency when Macy was nine years old. Macy's mother, Lois (née Overstreet; 1920–2001), was a war widow who met Macy's father after her first husband died in 1943. Macy has described her as a " Southern belle ". Macy graduated from Allegany High School in Cumberland, Maryland, in 1968. He attended Bethany College in West Virginia, where he studied veterinary medicine . A "wretched student" by his own admission, he transferred to Goddard College in rural Vermont , where he studied under playwright David Mamet , and graduated in 1972. He studied theater at HB Studio in New York City. After graduating from Goddard, Macy originated roles in

96-428: A clear method to the analysis of the text, then you can go onstage and completely let go.” -Anya Saffir, Atlantic Acting School That method begins by breaking down any script scene-by-scene, using four-step analysis that entails the following: 1) The Literal : An un-interpretive description of what the character is doing or saying through the scene. "What is the character literally doing?" For example, "The character

128-450: A mainstream breakthrough through his portrayal of Jerry Lundergaard in Fargo (1996), which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor His major subsequent film roles include Boogie Nights (1997), Air Force One (also 1997), Magnolia (1999), Mystery Men (1999), Jurassic Park III (2001), Bobby (2006), Thank You For Smoking (2005), and Kingdom of

160-686: A number of plays by collaborator David Mamet, such as American Buffalo and The Water Engine . While in Chicago in his twenties, he did a TV commercial. He was required to join AFTRA in order to do the commercial, and received his SAG card within a year, which for an elated Macy represented an important moment in his career. Macy spent time in Los Angeles before moving to New York City in 1980, where he had roles in over fifty Off Broadway and Broadway plays . One of his earliest on-screen roles

192-430: A personal worry or dread or dream or fantasy, that keeps the playing of action in the now, and gives the actor something to truthfully explore and fight for within a scene, with an outcome that is unknown. Despite knowing how the scene unfolds for the characters because the actors have read the script, this tool helps actors to play their way through an objective that motivates the lines, rather than act their idea of how

224-406: A precious family heirloom to a nosy neighbor who manipulated their way into getting it. I need to retrieve something that should rightfully stay in our family." This step is not meant to be a memory device, but a way to activate the actor's imagination and body toward a personally meaningful, truthful task. Using Practical Aesthetics, actors are taught that using the memory of past experiences limits

256-542: A rally for John Kerry in 2004. Macy plays the ukulele and is an avid woodturner . He has appeared on the cover of Fine Woodworking ' s special edition, Wood Turning Basics and was featured in an article in the April 2015 issue of American Woodturner ( American Association of Woodturners ). He is a national ambassador for the United Cerebral Palsy Association . Since shooting

288-437: A recurring role on ER (1994-2009) and Sports Night (1999-2000). Both roles earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series . In a November 2003 interview with USA Today , Macy stated that he wanted to star in a big-budget action film "for the money, for the security of a franchise like that. And I love big action-adventure movies. They're way cool." He serves as director-in-residence at

320-590: A small role as Grandpa in the drama film Room , which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture . The film reunited him with his Pleasantville costar, Joan Allen . In 2024, he played Trevathan in the film Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes . Macy and actress Felicity Huffman dated on-and-off for 15 years and married on September 6, 1997. They have two daughters. Macy and Huffman appeared at

352-690: A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the upcoming year. On January 13, 2009, Macy replaced Jeremy Piven in David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow on Broadway. Piven suddenly and unexpectedly dropped out of the play in December 2008 after he experienced health problems. Norbert Leo Butz covered the role from December 23, 2008, until Macy took over the part. Dirty Girl , which starred Macy along with Juno Temple , Milla Jovovich , Mary Steenburgen and Tim McGraw , premiered September 12, 2010, at

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384-472: Is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and producer. He is two-time Emmy Award and four-time Screen Actors Guild Award winner, and has been nominated for an Academy Award , a Drama Critics' Circle Award , and five Golden Globe Awards . Macy rose to prominence for his collaborations with playwright David Mamet , before building a film career on appearances in small, independent films , earning two Independent Spirit Award nominations. He achieved

416-448: Is literally proposing marriage to their partner of six months." 2) The Want : What does one character ultimately want the other character to say or do. "What does my character want from the other person within the scene?" For example; 'Character A wants Character B to agree that they have found their soulmate" 3) The Essential Action : A universal ideal that relates to the specific and essential nature of what your character wants within

448-611: The Atlantic Theater Company in New York, where he teaches a technique called Practical Aesthetics . A book describing the technique, A Practical Handbook for the Actor ( ISBN   0-394-74412-8 ), is dedicated to Macy and Mamet. In 2007, Macy starred in Wild Hogs , a film about middle-aged men reliving their youthful days by taking to the open road on their Harley-Davidson motorcycles from Cincinnati to

480-614: The Pacific Coast . Despite being critically panned, with a 14% "rotten" rating from Rotten Tomatoes , it was a financial success, grossing over $ 168 million. The film also reunited him with his A Civil Action costar, John Travolta . In 2009, Macy completed filming on The Maiden Heist , a comedy that co-starred Morgan Freeman and Christopher Walken . In June 2008, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced Macy and his wife, Felicity Huffman , would each receive

512-546: The Toronto International Film Festival . In summer 2010, Macy joined the Showtime pilot Shameless as the protagonist, Frank Gallagher . The project ultimately went to series, and its first season premiered on January 9, 2011. Macy has received high critical acclaim for his performance, eventually getting an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2014. In

544-447: The 2012 film The Sessions , Macy played a priest who helps a man with a severe disability find personal fulfillment through a sex surrogate. He made his directorial debut with the independent drama Rudderless , which stars Billy Crudup , Anton Yelchin , Felicity Huffman , Selena Gomez and Laurence Fishburne . In 2017, he directed The Layover , a road trip comedy starring Alexandra Daddario and Kate Upton . In 2015, he had

576-598: The Planet of the Apes (2024). From 2011 to 2021, he starred as Frank Gallagher on the television series Shameless . He previously played the recurring role of Dr. David Morgenstern on ER (1994–2009). Macy was born in Miami , Florida, and grew up in Georgia and Maryland . His father, William Hall Macy Sr. (1922–2007), was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and an Air Medal for flying

608-527: The Want is “Character A wants B to agree it’s finally time to enjoy better insurance and tax advantages,” then the Essential Action might be, “To cut a good deal,” or “To get someone to fall in line,” or "To make a responsible choice." 4) The As If : This relates the Essential Action to the actor's own life. An important distinction is that this personalizes for the actor not the given circumstances of

640-755: The expense of nearly confining him to a narrow typecast of a worried man down on his luck. Other Macy roles of the 1990s and 2000s included Benny & Joon (1993), The Client (1994), Above Suspicion (1995), Mr. Holland's Opus (1995), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Air Force One (1997), Boogie Nights (1997), A Civil Action (1998), Pleasantville (1998), Gus Van Sant 's remake of Psycho (1998), Happy, Texas (1999), Mystery Men (1999), Magnolia (1999), Panic (2000), Jurassic Park III (2001), Focus (2001), Welcome to Collinwood (2002), Seabiscuit (2003), The Cooler (2003), Cellular (2004), Sahara (2005), Everyone's Hero (2006) and Bobby (2006). He had

672-480: The film Wild Hogs , Macy has had a strong interest in riding motorcycles. Macy lives near and is the spokesperson for Woody Creek Distillers in Basalt, CO , which sells a signature whiskey bearing Macy's name. In March 2019, it was reported that Macy and Huffman had agreed to pay someone $ 15,000 to take a college entrance exam for their daughter Sophia. Huffman was indicted on fraud and conspiracy charges as part of

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704-552: The first produced episode of Law & Order . In both appearances, he was billed as W. H. Macy. He has appeared in numerous films that Mamet wrote or directed, such as House of Games (1987), Things Change (1988), Homicide (1991), Oleanna (1994) (reprising the role he originated in the play of the same name ), Wag the Dog (1997), State and Main (2000) and Spartan (2004). Macy's leading role in Fargo (1996) helped boost his career and recognizability, though at

736-425: The given circumstances, they can enter the scene, onstage or on camera, with improvisational freedom in the moment. “The writer has provided the words- the context. Script Analysis defines the action-the intention. How should you say the line? Perhaps, instead, you should ask, 'How does my scene partner need to hear the line? What would be the best way to achieve my action in this moment? Determine that, and then say

768-486: The improvisational play within a scene because they already know how that remembered experience went and how it ended. “We don’t use emotional recall, but we engage our imagination, becoming an open vessel for the emotions.” -Mary McCann, Atlantic Acting School Instead, the As-If ties the actor to an active goal, inviting them to think of something that could happen, but has not yet happened in their  life, be it

800-545: The line in order to further that goal.'” -Robert Bella, Training of the American Actor Actors are trained to put their attention outward toward the other actor(s), with tools that heighten their listening, physical engagement, and responsiveness. “We are really interested in the live, spontaneous, improvised, unforeseeable moment.” -Anya Saffir, Atlantic Acting School Moment work is the actor reacting honestly to other actors and stimuli as they play through

832-413: The scene should play out. Like an athlete playing a sport, using the As-If in rehearsal, the actor may improvise their action opposite the other actor’s action, trying to win their goal, eventually replacing the words of the As-If with the words of the scene, so that the acting maintains a spirit of discovery and suspense. Once the actor has applied a clear analysis method to the text that immerses them in

864-534: The scene through the point of view of the Essential Action. Famous practitioners of Practical Aesthetics include William H Macy , Felicity Huffman , Elizabeth Olsen , Rose Byrne , Gina Rodriguez , Jessica Alba , Rhea Seehorn , Stephanie Hsu , and Clark Gregg . Master teachers of Practical Aesthetics include Scott Zigler, Mary McCann, Karen Kohlhaas, Anya Saffir, Melissa Bruder, Lee Michael Cohn, Robert Bella, and Jacquelyn Landgraf. William H Macy William Hall Macy Jr. (born March 13, 1950)

896-481: The scene, but rather their chosen action (" what you are doing onstage"). The As-If is used as a training and rehearsal device that makes the playing of action urgent and visceral to the actor, and helps them stay grounded and honest in an improvised encounter opposite their scene partner(s). For example: If the Essential Action is, "to retrieve what is rightfully mine," then an actor's personal As If might be, "It’s as if my grandfather, who has dementia, has given away

928-433: The scene, stated as a verb/objective with its test in the other person. The Action is an interpretive choice made the actor, and there is an important separation between what the character wants and what the actor’s objective in the scene will be. In this step, the actor distills the given circumstances and the behavior of the character, all given by the playwright, into a core objective/active onstage goal that underlies

960-429: The technique of Practical Aesthetics. Practical Aesthetics is based on the practice of breaking down the process of acting into two essential components: Action and Moment, with the goal of simplifying the process of acting for the actor. The action is defined as " what you are doing onstage ," while moment is about " how you are going to do it ." “Once you are deeply immersed in the given circumstances and have applied

992-496: The text. For example, if the Literal is that the character is proposing to their partner of only six months, and the Want is "A wants B to agree that they have found their soulmate," the Essential Action underlying that specific Want could be, "To get someone to throw all caution to the wind." If the Literal and Want were slightly different–say, “The character is literally proposing marriage to their partner of thirty-four years,” and

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1024-509: Was as a theater critic congratulating Christopher Reeve in 1980's Somewhere In Time , under the name W.H. Macy, so as not to be confused with the actor Bill Macy . Another memorable early performance was as a turtle named Socrates in the direct-to-video film The Boy Who Loved Trolls (1984). He had a minor role as a hospital orderly on the sitcom Kate & Allie in the fourth-season episode "General Hospital", and played an assistant district attorney in " Everybody's Favorite Bagman ",

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