William H. Macy

Summary

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Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim

Episode: William H. Macy (February 17, 2026)

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Episode Overview

This heartfelt and humorous episode of "Thanks Dad" features host Ego Nwodim in conversation with acclaimed actor William H. Macy. Together, they dive into Macy’s storied acting career, his experiences in Hollywood, the evolution of his personal life and philosophy, and what he’s learned about gratitude, grace, and navigating creative anxieties. The conversation is deeply personal, highlighting Macy’s journey of softening with age, his enduring marriage to Felicity Huffman, and practical tips for actors on craft and auditioning. The episode ends with listener advice, focusing on sitting with uncertainty.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ego & Macy on Self-Perception and "Impostor Syndrome"

• Ego opens by expressing deep respect for Macy, prompting Macy to admit to lifelong self-consciousness despite his success.
• Macy (03:08): "A lot of actors have impostor syndrome. So when I find myself being fawned over, I get self conscious and shy."
• Both discuss how body language—from confidence to defensiveness—plays a critical role in acting and perception.

2. Navigating a Long Acting Career: What Still Matters

• What makes Macy say "yes" to a project today?
  • Early on, it was about meaning; mid-career was about payment and respect; now, it’s about meaningful roles—even if small—in quality stories.
  • Macy (05:29): "I'd rather be in a successful movie in a smaller role than a failure in a big role. It’s the story it tells—and I'll admit it, what my part in telling that story is."

3. The Truth in Acting (and Life)

• Macy recounts lessons from David Mamet: the actor’s job is not to lie but to reveal deep, present truth—not just scripted emotion but what’s actually present between actors.
  • Macy (07:43): "Our job is to tell the truth. Always. Not just the truth within the script. Tell the truth within you."
• Ego and Macy share that the most potent work emerges from honesty and present-moment connection.

4. On Improv and SNL: Knowing Your Limits

• Macy admits he never did improv, and turned down the chance to host SNL out of visceral fear (“It’s a muscle I just don’t have,” 09:19).
• He explains the difference between structured freeform acting and unguarded improv—he prefers having "guardrails".

5. Lessons from "Shameless" and the Value of Repetition

• Macy credits "Shameless" for teaching him grace—forgiveness towards himself and others, and learning to let go of perfection.
  • Macy (11:44): "I forgave myself. You blow this scene, there’s another scene. This episode’s not good; there’s another episode."
• He shares pride in the show’s diversity efforts under John Wells.

6. On Growth, Diversity, and Supporting New Talent

• Macy reflects on how "Shameless" and its crew supported first-time directors, especially women and people of color.
  • Macy (13:08): "They just would lift this director and gently help him or her over the finish line. And it was so kind."

7. Long-Lasting Love & Family: Felicity Huffman and Home

• Macy’s gratitude goes to his wife Felicity (“Flick”), with whom he’s been married nearly 30 years, and shares fond memories of their wedding.
  • Macy (16:27): "Probably the day you said yes. Best day of my life."
• Recommends buying your spouse's childhood home (“it works out very well,” 17:58).
• Humorous account of practical wedding vows focusing on real-life gestures (“I will never make fun of you in public.”)

8. Manners, Tradition, and the Changing World

• Macy is passionate about tradition—standing when his wife returns to the table, reading Miss Manners, respecting restaurants.
  • Macy (24:05): "Civility. To a large extent, taking your hat off...is an act of respect for the place."
• He and Ego discuss the pleasure and importance of trying/dressing up, hosting parties, and the role of tradition in feeling grounded.

9. On Risk, Motorcycles, and Parenting

• His love of motorcycles ("I ride like an old man," 40:02), with Felicity’s safety caveat: "If you get badly hurt, you gotta get killed because I’m not taking care of a quadriplegic" (40:06).
• Talks cycling in Manhattan and the importance of being a defensive driver/rider.

10. Childhood & Family Background

• Raised in Georgia and Maryland; older brother, calm family, "cut loose at about 8" to explore on his bike.
• His dad’s calm demeanor had a big impact on his own attitude.

11. Current Projects: "The Land" and New Developments

• Macy co-stars as the fictional owner of the Cleveland Browns in the new series "The Land".
  • Macy (46:24): "It's all fictional, but we look and act and dress like the Cleveland Browns...there's the real Browns, and the reel Browns."

12. Advice to Actors: Auditioning and Owning Your Perspective

• Macy shares his late-career audition philosophy: come in with your own strong interpretation—the “plant your flag” approach—and let the process be mutual.
  • Macy (54:33): "This is what I'm going to do. If that's not right, don't hire me. Because this is what I'm going to do."
• On self-taping: break the rules if it serves the scene, use props, make it easier for casting to see the character.
• Emphasizes finding the key moment in sides, taking pauses, and embodying the character even before reading.

13. The Woody Creek Distillery Story

• Macy joined Woody Creek Distillery through neighbors in Colorado (31:53), producing potato vodka, rye, gin, and bourbon.
• Lively discussion on spirits’ personalities (vodka as "the girl who gets along with everyone," rye as sophisticated, tequila as the troublemaker).
• Upcoming projects: Macy’s own signature ryes and plans for more music and humor related to the distillery.

14. Advice Segment: Coping with Uncertainty

• Listener asks: how to survive anxious waiting for outcomes?
  • Ego suggests meditation and breathwork or journaling (“generally, you have everything you need, and the answer will come,” 71:14).
  • Macy shares that patience develops with age, and offers a vivid story of conquering stage nerves with Felicity’s advice to breathe (73:50).
  • Macy: “I breathed...I took about 10 cleansing breaths, and it calmed me down...I got through the play.” (74:19)

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Impostor syndrome and the actor’s life

  • Macy: “A lot of actors have impostor syndrome. So when I find myself being fawned over, I get self conscious and shy.” (03:08)

• On growth and letting go of perfection

  • Macy: “I forgave myself. You blow this scene, there’s another scene...It just took all the pressure off.” (11:44)

• The importance of tradition

  • Macy: “Civility. Taking your hat off...is an act of respect for the place.” (24:05)

• On his marriage to Felicity

  • Macy: “Probably the day you said yes. Best day of my life.” (16:27)

• Philosophy for auditions

  • Macy: “This is what I’m going to do. If that’s not right, don’t hire me. Because this is what I’m going to do.” (54:33)

• On choosing roles

  • Macy: “I’d rather be in a successful movie in a smaller role than a failure movie in a big role.” (05:29)

• On helping the next generation and diversity

  • Macy: “They just would lift this director and gently help him or her over the finish line. And it was so kind.” (13:08)

• Breathwork and conquering stage fright

  • Macy: “I breathed...I took about 10 cleansing breaths, and it calmed me down. And I got through the play.” (74:19)

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Important Timestamps

• [03:01] Discussion of impostor syndrome and confidence
• [05:29] Criteria for choosing acting roles
• [07:43] Lessons from David Mamet on telling the truth in acting
• [09:19] Macy’s fear of improv and SNL hosting
• [11:44] Lessons from "Shameless" on self-forgiveness and persistence
• [13:08] Hollywood’s shift toward diversity and mentorship
• [16:27] Macy’s gratitude for his wife Felicity
• [24:05] Conversation about civility, manners, and tradition
• [40:06] Felicity’s rules for Macy’s motorcycle riding
• [46:24] Macy discusses new series "The Land"
• [54:33] Advice for actors: bringing authenticity to auditions
• [65:07] Personality descriptions of various spirits
• [71:14] Listener advice: meditation and sitting with uncertainty
• [74:19] Macy’s story of overcoming stage fright with breathwork

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Tone & Language

The episode flows with warmth, humor, and vulnerability. Macy’s candor and humility balance expertly with Ego’s playful rapport. Quotes are delivered in their authentic, conversational style, capturing the episode’s inviting, wise, and sometimes self-deprecating tone.

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Summary in a Nutshell

This episode with William H. Macy is a masterclass in reflection, gratitude, and growing up—on screen and off. Macy and Nwodim laugh through career anxieties, share honest insights on storytelling, tradition, and risk, and offer hard-won, down-to-earth advice for creatives and fans alike. Macy’s wisdom, humility, and obvious love for his family, work, and colleagues shine through, making this an essential listen (or read) for anyone interested in the humanity behind Hollywood.

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Transcript

[William H. Macy]

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[Ego Wodem]

You look Good. I'm so happy you're here. I'm gonna do an intro for you because I have a lot of respect for you, mind you, I do this for everyone, but I do really respect you. My guest is an actor who you know from Shameless, Fargo and the Oscar nominated movie Train Dreams. You can also see him in the upcoming series the Land and check out his alcohol company, Woody Creek distillery. It's William H. Macy. Yeah. And the crowd goes wild. Yes. Yes, the crowd. Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

Thank you for that intro.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh my goodness.

[William H. Macy]

Thank you for that sounded impressive, didn't it?

[Ego Wodem]

It's. You are impressive. Do you realize how impressive you are? Honestly?

[William H. Macy]

Yes. You've heard it. A lot of actors have impostor syndrome. So when I find myself being fond over, I, I don't know, I get self conscious and shy.

[Ego Wodem]

Shy. I see. And you're. If I was a therapist, I'd be

[William H. Macy]

like, you're clenching and you're being so.

[Ego Wodem]

And now it's this which is standoffish.

[William H. Macy]

There's no right way to be.

[Ego Wodem]

This is like way to be.

[William H. Macy]

You're a student of this stuff. I like that. Cuz I do that when in my acting, you know, I, I thought a lot about what does this mean? What does that mean? And you know, just the other day I thought the way to do this. And Bill is opening up his legs and putting his hand on and it's basically. Well, we know what that means.

[Ego Wodem]

I mean this is a very confident man. I'm going to take up space, hand on the leg. Feels like he's in charge.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah, I'm. I'm about to strike.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah, I see.

[William H. Macy]

It worked. And then halfway through the scene I put my legs together and crossed my arms and that said it all too.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

You don't even have to speak.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah, it's true. There's so much in body language. My acting teacher here in Los Angeles, Annie Grinlay used to say there's so much more in between the dialogue, the unstated. There's so much in that. But I want you to know I think you are incredibly impressive, as do so many people.

[William H. Macy]

Well, thank you.

[Ego Wodem]

And it's. I don't say this now to make you uncomfortable and self conscious because I relate to that as well. I, I think I'm surprised that even now you feel imposter syndrome.

[William H. Macy]

I think it's was Dave Mamet said nobody ever became an actor because he had a happy childhood. I'm, you know, it's, it's complicated for me and I don't know Okay, I don't know. I get it. I've been in this business a long time. I read my resume and I'm embarrassed. You'd think I'd be a lot smarter and a lot richer, but I've done a lot of stuff. And I gotta admit, I get a script now, and I don't say I've done this scene before, but yeah, I've been here, done that. It's rare that I find myself in brand new territory.

[Ego Wodem]

Right. Given that you've had so much experience in this industry and you feel like you've done so much and you have, what makes you say yes to a script now?

[William H. Macy]

Excellent question. Here's my joke. I used to say at the beginning of my career, I asked, how does this speak to the human condition? And in the middle of my career, I said, what am I going to get paid respect? And now I asked, do I have to get wet now? I would rather be in a successful movie in a smaller role than a big movie, than a. A failure movie in a big role. It's the story it tells, and I'll admit it, what my part in telling that story is and the words I

[Ego Wodem]

get to say, that's a good metric. I think I'm in the. In the how much do I get paid phase.

[William H. Macy]

No shame.

[Ego Wodem]

I'm like, hold on, how much? Yeah, that's a. That's. It's a good. It's a good gauge of where exactly I am in my career. I'm going to hold.

[William H. Macy]

Well, yes. When they say yes, you go, whoa.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah, you gotta aim high, guys, seriously,

[William H. Macy]

what's the matter with you? You know who you couldn't gotten for half this?

[Ego Wodem]

Are you okay? How do you do with negotiation in general, by the way?

[William H. Macy]

Actually, pretty good.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

I adopted this MO As a long, long time ago, which is lead with the bad stuff. So rather than saying, hi, how are you? I was thinking about the cast and we're gonna go a dip. I start, I say, how are you? I'm gonna fire you. And then you backtrack and try to salvage whatever you can, you know?

[Commercial Announcer 5]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

It's not you, it's me. Whatever you say.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay, that is fascinating. And I'm. I mean, it just made me uncomfortable. I just had a visceral reaction to like, how's your day? I'm gonna fire you. And now we can go through the bullet points as to why I'm gonna fire you. When did you adopt that? How long ago, if you had to say,

[William H. Macy]

in my 30s.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

My teacher was Dave Mamet, the. The great writer. And he drilled into us that an actor's job. A lot of people say, well, you sort of lie for a living. You didn't write those words and you're not really saying them to anyone.

[Ego Wodem]

You know, heard it.

[William H. Macy]

Dave said, no, no, no, no, no. Those are the imaginary circumstances. Yes, of course. But our job is to tell the truth. Always. And not just the truth within the script. Tell the truth within you. Right now in this place, looking at that other person, you know, it could be. The script says, I look at you and I melt with love. And if I'm not getting along with you and I'm looking at you and you're sort of annoy me. And you have the guts to put that in the scene? Because the audience saw it. They're seeing the whole thing. They know what's going on between us.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

And you know, it's got to be a love story. The solution you come up with always is really elegant. Really better than the direct way. You know, it gets complicated.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. You did you ever do improv?

[William H. Macy]

No.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. And no. But I can tell because you just said no, which would end it. Improv.

[William H. Macy]

Sometimes on a film, they'll say, you can improv the scene.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

Not much, and I don't like it. But no. We were talking about snl.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, yes, we were.

[William H. Macy]

It just scares the bejesus.

[Ego Wodem]

So you were offered to host. You met. You got an offer to host at some point.

[William H. Macy]

Long time ago.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. Was I alive, do you think?

[William H. Macy]

Let's not go there.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

I got a pair of shoes that's older than you.

[Ego Wodem]

Thank you so much. That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me. So you got offered to host, but you said no. So did you say yes initially and then go, never mind, I don't want to do it?

[William H. Macy]

No, it was. It was visceral. I said, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I don't want to do that. I. It's a muscle I just don't have. As a matter of fact, my muscle of being on stage is it is improv, but with so many parameters, it's not wide open.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

I mean, we got a script, we got a story to tell, we got a job to do, and you improvise within that. And it's the same improvising you do.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes, it is.

[William H. Macy]

It's just rarefied.

[Ego Wodem]

Does it just makes you scared, the notion that you just don't have the same kind of guardrails?

[William H. Macy]

Yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. But then in snl, so not improv. Was it then the live television aspect of it? That was.

[William H. Macy]

Well, there's still it. Oh, yeah, yeah. Yes. And we talked a little bit before. The actor in me. People used to not want to go to the theater with me because apparently I moan and say more. It would just come out of me, you know, if it was bad or there was a bullshit moment or it's. It just wasn't working. Apparently. I. But I've grown up. I don't know what happened. I think it used to offend me that they were bad. Now I realize they didn't. They're not bad on purpose. They're doing the best they can.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

And I've done it so much. I know how much work they. They put into this. So I sort of forgave them. And now I love going to Broadway and plays anywhere.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. Because you're like, if it's bad, no moaning from me. Yeah, it's okay.

[William H. Macy]

And I've seen magnificent stuff.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. Do you have performances of yours that you would look at in the past? And I don't want you to name them, but performances of yours that you would look at retroactively, of course, because you can't look at it while you're in it and moan and go,

[William H. Macy]

I don't even have to watch them. I can remember them.

[Ego Wodem]

And, you know, the thought of them. Okay. Yeah, I see that. So then you've given yourself grace then as well.

[William H. Macy]

Right. I also learned along the way, well, Shameless taught me this because I got to go to work all the time, every day for over a decade. Actors, we don't get that.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah, right. Eleven seasons, was it? Right.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

We wait around, but because I got to go all the time, I sort of forgave myself. And I realized, you know, you blow this scene, there's another scene, and this episode's not good. There's another episode. This year's not good. We knew we were coming back, so it just took all the pressure off, and I became a much nicer fellow to be around, and I forgave everyone. I learned how to help directors without threatening or humiliating. Sometimes without them even knowing. And I've been doing this a long time. I mean, I'm older than the teamsters now.

[Ego Wodem]

You are.

[William H. Macy]

You know how old you have to be to be older than the.

[Ego Wodem]

I'm gonna. I don't want to say. I don't want to say. I don't want to say.

[William H. Macy]

Well, but, you know, I'm the ominous. Greece is our French brethren would say. And it's a nice position to be, and I love it. I really love it.

[Ego Wodem]

It's very cool. I mean, to also think that by virtue of doing this for as long as you've done it and having all the experiences you've had, you're then able to take on some of the responsibility of other people on set. In a sense where you say, I learned how to help the director without the director knowing it is pretty. That's, I think, a pretty remarkable skill to have.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

Do you know, I'd like to say Shameless, John Wells gets all credit for it, but when Hollywood suddenly realized 10, 15 years ago that our movies don't look like America, they really did something about it. I'm proud to be in this industry and John Wells above and beyond anyone I knew. We had all kinds of people, women, people of color, people who had never gotten a shot and were not close to getting a shot. Couple of them were there and they needed a net. And so sometimes they'd come on and I would see the crew. They would look at each other, wide eyes, and there was an unspoken thing. They just would lift this director and gently help him or her over the finish line. And it was so kind. And. Yeah, you know.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah, that's really special because it was

[William H. Macy]

an impossible show to shoot.

[Ego Wodem]

Sure, sure.

[William H. Macy]

It was fast.

[Ego Wodem]

I can imagine. And also, again, just talking about 11 seasons on the same job, it's. You're so blessed, I think, to have had that experience as an actor because there is so much waiting around and in between jobs and not knowing what your next month is going to be. But that is a. That's a long blessing. Yeah, it's huge. Did you get at any point, did you have a bad attitude about it being on the show?

[William H. Macy]

That show?

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

Just because you're like, no, I love it from the beginning. But I. I was a harsh young man. What it really comes down to is you're worrying about everything. And I think with maturity, you realize that's not your job, dude. And you also realize if you're worried about that job, I'm gonna guess you're not doing your job too well. Yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

How many seasons do you think it took for you to learn that on that show?

[William H. Macy]

You know, certainly by the midway point, but I could tell. I was always calling the writers and saying, this is. We gotta fix this. We shoot in a day. And towards the end, I thought, okay, it'll be what it'll be. Also, things that I thought were heinous, I would watch the show, and it Goes by and I'm in an instant. I thought that wasn't so terrible.

[Ego Wodem]

Right?

[William H. Macy]

Even if it wasn't a good scene, and I was right. A big deal.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. It's not. There's. There's. Like you said, there's another scene, there's another episode, another. Another week, another year.

[William H. Macy]

I saw a T shirt once. It said, don't worry about the little stuff. And in parentheses it says, it's all little stuff.

[Ego Wodem]

That's a fact. That'd be good to remember. That's a. This is a good tattoo. I have a few tattoos and I think I'll have. I get them because it'll remind me of something, but I never look at them. So crazy to get this permanent thing. And I'm like, this will be a good reminder that I never look at.

[William H. Macy]

I'm acting like an. Hold on here. What's on my back? Could you tell me what that says?

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah, remind me. It says, don't sweat the little stuff. It's all little stuff. That is a lower back tattoo. That's charming. I have to also ask you, because this is what I do with every guest. Who or what do you want to say thanks to today? It can be anything. Anything. Anyone.

[William H. Macy]

I was alerted to this. I would like to say thanks, Flickr. What a magnificently weird trip. This is becoming a. And I'm glad you're with me. And probably. Probably the day you said yes. Best day of my life.

[Ego Wodem]

That is beautiful.

[William H. Macy]

I hate it when I do that.

[Ego Wodem]

No, I love it selfishly, because you let me in on what's in your mind and in your heart right now.

[William H. Macy]

You and everyone else listening.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes, but we love it. This is a loving place. It's a loving place. This podcast.

[William H. Macy]

My daughters, we watching television. They just howl at me because I weep at the commercials. I weep at everything now.

[Ego Wodem]

You saw. You've softened with age. It sounds like Flick is your wife.

[William H. Macy]

Sorry, Felicity. Yes.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. I shouldn't call her Flicker. Flicker to you, Felicity. To us.

[William H. Macy]

There you go.

[Ego Wodem]

That's it. That's really beautiful. How long have you been married?

[William H. Macy]

We've. I really should know this, shouldn't I?

[Ego Wodem]

I don't mean to throw you under. Just over, under, over, under.

[William H. Macy]

We're coming up on 30th. I think it's 28 coming up.

[Ego Wodem]

Wow.

[William H. Macy]

I think we're gonna do some damage on 30.

[Ego Wodem]

What? What kind of damage?

[William H. Macy]

Well, the same kind of damage we did when we got married, okay? We had the best freaking wedding. We went on for days. We got married in Woody Creek, where she grew up.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

And now we live in Woody Creek. We bought her childhood home.

[Ego Wodem]

That's incredible.

[William H. Macy]

And which I would recommend to any husband out there by the childhood home. It works out very well for you

[Ego Wodem]

when you do that kind of stuff.

[William H. Macy]

Went on three days. We had this band from Denver. It was about 12 pieces. They had brass and everything. I greased them five times. They didn't get out of there until 4 o' clock in the morning. I went to the airport early to take my family and I saw our members in the little Aspen airport and none of them could walk because we danced all night.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, wow.

[William H. Macy]

And it was in September. So when you went outside to the Porta Potty, the steam rolled off your back. It was a magnificent wedding.

[Ego Wodem]

That's incredible. Did you write your own vows?

[William H. Macy]

We did. Funny you should ask. I wrote them and about three days before, I was reading them, and I realized, this is poetical crap. Even I don't know what I'm talking about. And so my vows were a list.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

I will stand up when you come back to the table.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

Someday, somehow, you will have a closet big enough. I will never hold pets or children over you. I will never make fun of you in public. It goes on.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay, well, how many things were on the list?

[William H. Macy]

I think they're about seven. I don't know what. I just.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. I think you just did four. Four, five.

[William H. Macy]

I'm pretty good on the closet. That's. I realized that was a bridge too far. There'll never be a closet big enough for.

[Ego Wodem]

There will never be. It's an issue. I will say. I mean, I live in New York and my closet is way too small. It's public.

[William H. Macy]

Half your apartment.

[Ego Wodem]

Truly. It's a little baby. Yes. It's a little baby closet half the size of my apartment, which is also small. And then my. My. My closet in my house in la. My whole thing to the contract.

[William H. Macy]

Small. One bedroom in New York.

[Ego Wodem]

It is actually.

[William H. Macy]

We got it too.

[Ego Wodem]

I had been like, I need a closet. I have. I have. I need a closet. There's nowhere to put all my stuff. But then in between asking for that and them actually designing it, I got rid of all my clothes. People will see the same outfit on this podcast because I only did 10 things.

[William H. Macy]

Do that. That's magnificent.

[Ego Wodem]

It was really nice. I. For my birthday a few years ago, maybe two years ago, I realized I had no clothes because it was really in the. Like. I got rid of everything. I had no clothes that I tried to go to dinner with my friend impromptu because I didn't have a plan. And I was like, oh, I don't have anything to wear to this dinner I've said we should go to now anyway. But it was very nice. It felt light on. The birthday was the day. It felt like panic.

[William H. Macy]

For my birthday one year, Felicity gave me a new wardrobe. We have a Linda Medveen. She's a magnificent designer and shopper and stylist, and she bought me all new clothes. It was cool.

[Ego Wodem]

Amazing. Okay. Can I ask, though? Do you think maybe that was part of Felicity's plan to make you over? Because women do that. We do that. We go, this is a good man with a good heart. But we need to change the clothes and the haircut. So do you. Has it occurred to you that it might have been a sort of like, yeah, look at this sweet thing I'm doing for you. But really, my man needs new clothes and a new vibe. I'm sorry I made.

[William H. Macy]

I know one. She loves my manness.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

And supports it completely like no one I've ever known. She. I think she likes men, but she likes this man in particular. Anything. She really wants me to do my thing.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

And vice versa. I love women.

[Ego Wodem]

But you love that woman especially.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah, yeah, but I love all women. I. I think you're magnificent. We need a woman president for sake.

[Ego Wodem]

Thank you. And you can speak on that if you want, because. Yeah, I think it would be a good idea, too.

[William H. Macy]

Oh, my God, we gotta do it. Yeah, we gotta. This testosterone surge we've had is really not good at all.

[Ego Wodem]

I think the evidence, the proof, is in the pudding at this point. Yeah. Yeah, I agree. I have to ask, though, too. Standing up at the table, are we still doing that?

[William H. Macy]

Yes.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, wow.

[William H. Macy]

Yes. Yes. I'm pretty good. And when I'm not all here, she loves it. I'm a Southern boy. I'm really starting to believe in all those dorky old things we do, like ma' am and sir and standing up at the table, taking your mother hat off when you go inside.

[Ego Wodem]

What's with this?

[Commercial Announcer 2]

You censored yourself.

[Ego Wodem]

They don't take their hats off.

[William H. Macy]

Oh, my God. I've gone to five star restaurants and there's some dork in sweatpants with his hat on backwards. A baseball cap, I think. Get out of the restaurant.

[Ego Wodem]

Kick him out. I bet if you told him, if you approached that young man and said, you need to go, they would. They would honor that.

[William H. Macy]

Well, it probably beat the crap out of me, but my. My daughter Georgia, her boyfriend Showed up one time at a nice restaurant with a baseball cap on, and I could see her giving him googly eyes. And they make fun of me. They make fun of me with all my old stuff. I read Miss Manners.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah, okay.

[William H. Macy]

Anyway, she almost left him. Took him outside and ripped him a new one. He'll never put his hat on in a restaurant again.

[Ego Wodem]

Never again. Where's he from? He's not Southern, obviously.

[William H. Macy]

No, he was. He was an LA boy.

[Ego Wodem]

There it is. LA boy with his hat.

[William H. Macy]

All over the world.

[Ego Wodem]

That's.

[William H. Macy]

Grown men do it.

[Ego Wodem]

It's. I mean, what do you think the importance of maintaining all those manners is, though? What do you think that. What do you think that that represents? On truly, because some people just say it's tradition, but why

[William H. Macy]

civility? To a large extent, the taking your hat off in a place like that is an act of respect for the place. This is a fine restaurant. So I don't come in like I look like I've been changing the oil on my car. It's not. It's not polite. And I think people really like dressing up. I think we're nicer to each other a lot of times when we're all dressed up. Tradition, tradition, tradition. I'm Lutheran, but I dig it.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah, I'm not. You know, I think that makes sense. It's sometimes when people are not trying, I go, why not? It feels good. It feels good to try. I would say, in that regard. But also, people have their preferences. I once threw a birthday party that was black tie because I wanted to see all my comedy friends in tuxes and dresses.

[William H. Macy]

Was it great?

[Ego Wodem]

It was so fun. It was so fun. I was like, it's not mandatory, but come on. Was kind of what the invitation said. And they did it. And it was so nice.

[William H. Macy]

I threw a party in New York. We used to rent a place upstate in Dover Plains. And just an hour up on the train. Anyway, we threw a white party.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, nice. Interesting title these days, I would say, as well.

[William H. Macy]

So when I said oh, nice, because

[Ego Wodem]

I was thinking there are other white parties that exist. Some have gone down in history as not good.

[William H. Macy]

No, they just weren't fun.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

It wasn't its only party. It was a white party. And most people did it. And some of them had beautiful white gowns, but everybody wore white and the party got out of hand. There were a hundred people there at the. At Amtrak. They said, what's going on in Dover Plains? And the people who owned the place said, we can't have any more parties. Like this. But there were a lot of people. And at one point we're all down, we're playing. We were playing ball and the. Where they were playing music and I can't remember what song came in. Everybody stops, everyone. And 75 people all dressed in white on a big green lawn dancing. Kind of.

[Ego Wodem]

That's kind of.

[William H. Macy]

It was kind of together because of the beat. You could hear the thing. It was magnetic. Magnificent.

[Ego Wodem]

That's amazing. You like to throw a party? I'm getting the sense that that is so.

[William H. Macy]

I do.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

I've thrown some good ones.

[Ego Wodem]

Have you thrown any recently?

[William H. Macy]

A party? No, but we make a big deal out of Thanksgiving and Christmas and.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

Some of them, they're not huge, but 10 or 12.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. You host?

[William H. Macy]

We host.

[Ego Wodem]

Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving dish? People are tired of turkey, I'm hearing.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah, I still like it. We always get a ham too. Stuffing. I could eat stuffing. I'm glad we. Only I don't eat it. Except Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's something to look.

[Ego Wodem]

I know it's true. I don't, I don't eat the. I don't eat stuffing outside of Thanksgiving and Christmas either. But it's so good. It's so good.

[William H. Macy]

Oh, and talk about tradition.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

When I go to Thanksgiving, someone said Bob made his special stuffing. I go, oh no. Oh no, I don't want special stuffing. I want the stuffing. Just take it out of the freaking box and add water, man.

[Ego Wodem]

Top.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, you want stovetop.

[William H. Macy]

I mean, if you, if you're going to use, if you're going to cook it in the turkey. I like that.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

You know, okay. But no, when they, you know, this has got pomegranate in it, I just go, I've waited all year for this.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. Keep your damn stuffing with the pomegranates. Yeah, I understand that. I used to love Stovetop, but now I do love a true from scratch.

[William H. Macy]

Sure.

[Ego Wodem]

Mind you, I'm never making it, but I do enjoy it.

[William H. Macy]

I love it too. As long as it tastes like stovetop.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. You're like, give me the stovetop. I love that. A simple man.

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[Ego Wodem]

Okay, I have to ask you because Woody Creek Distillery, I'm very fascinated. How do we get into making spirits?

[William H. Macy]

We got into it because the aforementioned Woody Creek, where Felicity grew up and the aforementioned house that we bought, Pat, Mary Scanlon were my neighbors and Mark Kleckner was my neighbor. 1, 2, 3. Pat and Mary and Mark created a distillery called Woody Creek Distillers. The distillery is in basalt, and Pat and Mary have money and they decided to make the finest spirits you can. And they did. We got these Christian Carl stills. If you ever get to Aspen, come see this distillery. It's pretty cool.

[Ego Wodem]

All right.

[William H. Macy]

Two stories have these column stills, all glass and copper and stainless steel. Anyway, when they, they started off with 100 potato vodka and they grew some potatoes on one of our fields in exchange for hang the fields and splitting, you know, for the horses. And so one day Mark knocked on the door and said, bill, I don't know if you know, but we have a distillery. I say, I'm going to stop you right there. I'm in easy sell.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. Very easy sell.

[William H. Macy]

And I joke I was the only celebrity within walking distance, but I've loved it. I always loved spirits. I drank scotch in college and I had a love affair with that. You know, it hasn't changed in 2,000 years. It's the same gag.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. Yeah. Is scotch your go to. Is that your favorite?

[William H. Macy]

Of course not. It's Woody Creek.

[Ego Wodem]

It's Woody now.

[William H. Macy]

It's rye. Rye whiskey. America's drink.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. Okay. I'm a g. I'm in my gin phase. I was telling you that before.

[William H. Macy]

I am gonna hook you so up. You're gonna get Mary's gin. It's a purple gin.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

Gonna love it.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. I'm very excited. Have you ever been to Glenwood Springs, Colorado?

[William H. Macy]

Yeah, it's just down the road.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. So my friend's parents live there, and they retired in Glenwood Springs, and that's where I spent a good portion of

[William H. Macy]

COVID You know where I live then?

[Ego Wodem]

I do. I have. I'm really gonna come. If I.

[William H. Macy]

Was it. Was it fun being there during COVID

[Ego Wodem]

Yes, it was really nice. So I was. I went from midtown Manhattan by Port Authority, which is where my apartment was, at the height of COVID which was very aggressive, and could not wait to get out because other people had fled. They have their. Their houses in the Hamptons, and people were like, I'm going to mom and dad's house in Texas. And I just was like, I'm gonna hunker down in my space, because I hadn't really spent any time in my apartment, and I thought, this will be the. This will be when I become a woman. And it really did turn me into a woman. But then I quickly fled.

[William H. Macy]

Also a maniac. You had to get out of it.

[Commercial Announcer 3]

Yes, exactly.

[Ego Wodem]

I was. But I was, like, eerily peaceful during COVID It was concerning to me. I was like, I didn't leave my apartment because it was midtown New York and the height of it, and you didn't want to pass a neighbor in the hall. It was that intense. You didn't know what. And so I was, weirdly so at peace. I'd made peace. Like, I live in this box. It was a studio apartment there. No natural light gets in here. And I call my friends all day, and we FaceTime, and we make each other laugh. But then when it was time to go, it was time to go. And so I went to Glenwood Springs, and so I spent, like, two weeks there.

[William H. Macy]

We were here, and we have a big yard, and it was fabulous. I mean, I really kind of enjoyed the lockdown.

[Ego Wodem]

You did? Okay, well, if you had a yard.

[William H. Macy]

I mean, I had a yard. I had a job to go back to. Thank you, Lord.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

And. Oh, wasn't that different than my life?

[Ego Wodem]

But, like, it was the same pace, really. Did you get scared at all during COVID No. Yeah. You were just at ease. Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

I'm pretty sure I had Covid before they had named it. I was doing a play, and I got deathly ill for five days.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

And just sloughed it off. But then I got. When I did get covet, I thought, wait a minute. You thought, wait, I've been there.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. This feels familiar.

[William H. Macy]

I got it three times.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

I was sick, but yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. Did you lose your sense of taste?

[William H. Macy]

No. That never happened.

[Ego Wodem]

See, that would scare me maybe the most because I love food too much.

[William H. Macy]

I thought I did.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

I went. I was in Woody Creek and I fixed myself a vodka tonic and I thought, what's. I can't. This tastes like I don't have any taste. And I freaked out. And then I tried the. A shot of bourbon and I could taste it. And I looked at the vodka and my girls. Somebody had drunk all the vodka and put water in there.

[Ego Wodem]

Someone developed a habit.

[William H. Macy]

But it also might have been they were doing a shooting some scene. Okay. So they used that bottle and put it back.

[Ego Wodem]

Wait, shooting? Do they shoot? They shoot.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah. Sophia, my oldest, is. She's in the Tribe. Sophia Macy.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

She's probably in the. The Steve Carell Show.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, yes.

[William H. Macy]

New show. She's. She's in that. It's got a nice role.

[Ego Wodem]

Incredible.

[William H. Macy]

And she's got a little film called Brian. We're going to south by Southwest together.

[Ego Wodem]

Incredible. I'm excited for her and you. I. I'm gonna be at south by Southwest, so now hopefully around to see the film. Really cool.

[William H. Macy]

You're going for the music or for the podcasting?

[Ego Wodem]

I Heart iHeart Awards is at south by Southwest and I'm hosting their awards. So they're giving out podcast awards this year.

[William H. Macy]

Mazel time.

[Ego Wodem]

Thank you so much. Where did you grow up?

[William H. Macy]

Mostly Georgia. Born in Miami, Florida. I was lesson one when we moved to Georgia. Around Atlanta. Make indicator. Then the Maryland. Western Maryland.

[Ego Wodem]

I'm from Maryland.

[William H. Macy]

Cumberland.

[Ego Wodem]

No, I'm familiar with Cumberland, but I'm from Baltimore. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[William H. Macy]

Way out there.

[Ego Wodem]

I know Cumberland.

[William H. Macy]

In the mountains. It's beautiful.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

And then I went to. Started my career In Chicago about 8, 10 years, then New York. 8, 10 years. Then LA.

[Ego Wodem]

You've done it all.

[William H. Macy]

Now I live in Woody Creek. Yeah. I'm running out of cities, but I think you're settled.

[Ego Wodem]

You're at your wife's childhood home. I feel like you're good. You're good to go.

[William H. Macy]

I'm good. Good. We still have our house here. We tried to rent it, but with the fires and the safeguards so that people don't get gouged, we couldn't rent it.

[Ego Wodem]

Is it. You're in the house.

[William H. Macy]

We wanted to gouge people.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. Of course you did. With the gouge. Meaning. We're trying to do. We're trying to do that. So you're not. Not. You're not in the. In the hills, then.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah, we are.

[Ego Wodem]

You are in the hills. Okay. Hollywood, you can't you can't gouge in the hills. You got to bring the prices down in the hills, I think.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah, it's pretty cool. I'm so. I'm so happy to be living up there.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. I mean, it is. How's the cell service up there?

[William H. Macy]

It's fine.

[Ego Wodem]

It.

[Caller Zach]

Is it.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay?

[William H. Macy]

It's fine. When you're driving down. It'll go out once or twice.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. The driving down the hills. In the hills, the lanes are so tiny.

[William H. Macy]

Right.

[Ego Wodem]

People drive so fast down those hills because they're like, I know my way around it, but I'm like, but another car could be coming and you wouldn't know how. What's your take?

[William H. Macy]

This isn't Subway takes, but my. The. The road I live on. I don't know why I don't want to say it.

[Ego Wodem]

Don't say the road. Don't. Of course I know why you don't want to say it. It's yours.

[William H. Macy]

Anyway, it's not like that. You're talking about Laurel Canyon and all those canyons. There's so.

[Ego Wodem]

But like, then there's the little.

[William H. Macy]

The little single.

[Ego Wodem]

Single lane situation where. And then there's cars. I'm like, yeah, mine's not like that.

[William H. Macy]

As a matter of fact, it was. It's such an easy thing. They put 12 stop signs.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

Just to slow people down.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. I. That's good. I. Okay. I could do those. H. Those are hills. I could. Do you also ride a motorcycle? You were telling me before risk. You enjoy risks. Is that fair?

[William H. Macy]

I guess the risk, the danger of it, makes it a little more fun. It's like flying. It's. I've done some big trips. That was epic. I think, you know, I ride like an old man. If it's hard to. It's hard.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

It's dangerous.

[Ego Wodem]

It is. Exactly. In short, it's dangerous.

[William H. Macy]

Felicity. I said, I'm going to get a Harley. Felicity said, okay, but you two rules. You gotta. You gotta wear all the gak all the time. I said, I do, I will and I do. Even in the summertime. And it's a caution. I said, what's the second rule? And she said, if you get badly hurt, you gotta get killed because I'm not taking care of a quadriplegic. I said, okay. Where all the gak. Get killed. I'm down and I got a Harley.

[Ego Wodem]

Felicity. I get it. I love her honesty. She's like, I'm not about to take care of you if you're.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

Half here.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

She didn't Say, but I ride really carefully. Knock, knock, knock, knock. I mean, twee tui tui. Everything.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes, all the things.

[William H. Macy]

But I think if you're, you know, if you think the light turns green and you can go, then you can't ride a motorcycle.

[Ego Wodem]

So. Okay, well, then explain this to me.

[William H. Macy]

You got to assume everybody's going to be coming. The light turns green. You gotta look defensive.

[Ego Wodem]

Driving, you have to really be a defensive driver. As a.

[William H. Macy]

And you know, it's a weird thing, but I rode a bicycle in man in Manhattan when I lived there for eight years. I mean, all the time. I rarely took the subway or a cab.

[Ego Wodem]

Wow.

[William H. Macy]

And felt comfortable when I did call a cab. But I got a sixth sense about the traffic and the car doors, you know, opening up because it's tighter there. It's not like that here. But I got a sixth sense when it was going to open.

[Ego Wodem]

It's. It's the car doors opening. Because I know someone who got in a bike accident in New York City like six months ago because an old lady opened her car door and he flipped over and landed on his head and had to go to the hospital. And it was that. That's too scary to me. I wrote a. Have you ever been on a city bike in New York?

[William H. Macy]

Yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay, so rode a city bike because they gave us like, a free year subscription in New York, and I rode one to go give my friend a gift. I think she lived at the time in, like, Park Slope. And I live in ways. It was a little bit of a way, but I was like, it's fun. It's a sunny day. I'm gonna finally use this. This city bike subscription before it runs out. That city bike is heavy as hell.

[William H. Macy]

Oh, my gosh.

[Ego Wodem]

It's a heavy bike. I was so cruising, but it's. I was like, it's not. I felt like I was doing more work. I kind of wanted, like, I've never.

[William H. Macy]

Are you a bike rider?

[Ego Wodem]

I like riding bikes in theory.

[William H. Macy]

I'll take that as a no. Well, then there it is. Yeah, the bike's heavy. But, you know, the. The fly in the ointment in this story is that you're not a bike rider and you decided to go 12 miles.

[Ego Wodem]

I am so sure I'm a bike rider. Except for, no, I'm not. Because when I think about my time in Glenwood Springs during COVID day one of getting there, my friend whose parents house was. He was like, let's go on a bike ride. And I was like, that sounds so nice. And I'm imagining, like, beach cruiser, Venice Beach. And then he takes me on this ride. I have the pictures from. He takes me on this ride, and I feel like 15 minutes in because it's Colorado. I was like, the hills. I was like, honey, we need to

[William H. Macy]

stop and call a cab.

[Ego Wodem]

We're going to call a cab. Are there cabs here at Glenwood Springs? Because.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah, I got an ebook bike. Yeah, it sure is nice.

[Ego Wodem]

They say they're better. I'm gonna try again, but there's just so much to consider, and why bike

[William H. Macy]

when you could walk, you know, get there faster?

[Ego Wodem]

Fair enough. It was a trick question, but the answer was obvious. I see. But I. I have. You always wanted to ride a motorcycle? Like, when you were young? Was that something you.

[William H. Macy]

I did this movie called Wild Hogs, and that's what really got me hooked on it. But I had a bike.

[Ego Wodem]

Bike.

[William H. Macy]

I had little bikes growing up hither and thither and. Yeah. And I think a lot of people ride motorcycles so they can wear the gak. Yeah, it's just the clothes are so cool.

[Ego Wodem]

And you. But you like that. You like the gak. So when Felicity is like, you need to wear the gak. You're like, no problem. I like the gak.

[William H. Macy]

It's. It's heavy sometimes, you know, Especially when you get all the armor and the elbows and the shoulders.

[Ego Wodem]

Summer. Yeah. And the summer of it all. Were your parents overprotective of you when you were younger in any way?

[William H. Macy]

No, no, no. I had free reign on a bicycle, and I. I covered some miles.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

The rule was I had to be back. I grew up in the country mostly. He had to be back by the time the street lights were on.

[Ego Wodem]

That was a thing. That was a thing for me, too.

[William H. Macy]

Even now, when they come on, I go, wait, you have to go home?

[Ego Wodem]

No, I'm allowed to be outside. I'm a grown man. I have grown children. What am I talking about? Yeah, that's. That's very relatable because I think growing up, so many of us, even I. I think about that, too. I lived, like, in a community of townhouses in Baltimore. And so, yeah, when the street lights came on, all. It's like everyone's. Everyone dispersed. Everyone's gone home immediately. No one wanted to get in trouble. Were you a good kid growing up?

[Commercial Announcer 2]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah, I think so. I mean, the stuff I got. Get caught doing was not that egregious. And the stuff I didn't get caught doing, I didn't get caught doing.

[Ego Wodem]

So you're not going to speak on it. You could tell our listeners some of that stuff. Or you could not. Or you could not. Could take it to the grave.

[William H. Macy]

I grew up in the country. My. My dad was such a fine man and calm, and. I sort of got that, you know, so it wasn't a big deal. There were rules and everything, but we were calm about it.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

And he grew up in the country, so.

[Ego Wodem]

All right.

[William H. Macy]

I was cut loose at about 8. I could go anywhere I wanted.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, wow. A lot of trust there. How. Where were you in the. The sibling lineup?

[William H. Macy]

I have a brother.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

He's older.

[Ego Wodem]

All right.

[William H. Macy]

And he's still with us. He lives in Pennsylvania.

[Ego Wodem]

You all right? Is he a Steelers fan?

[William H. Macy]

No.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

Okay. So I'm doing this series.

[Ego Wodem]

It's called you'd be really good at improv.

[William H. Macy]

You think so?

[Ego Wodem]

No, I don't.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. You're doing the series.

[William H. Macy]

I did change the subject.

[Ego Wodem]

No, but it was good. It was. No. And then you had something you want to tell me? Please.

[William H. Macy]

But you asked me if I was a Steelers fan and.

[Ego Wodem]

No, your brother. Your brother. But go tell me the series.

[William H. Macy]

I happen to be doing a series about the NFL. It's called the Land, and it's about the Cleveland Browns, and I am the owner. And it's all fictional, but we look and act and dress like the Cleveland Browns, which I find really interesting. Cleveland Browns out there doing the same thing.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes, actually. Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

So I say there's the real Cleveland Browns Re Al. And the real Cleveland Browns.

[Ego Wodem]

R E E L. And that's. You guys.

[William H. Macy]

So clever, aren't you?

[Ego Wodem]

You are very. Well, I take back what I said about you in improv. You're so clever. I've changed my mind. So, okay, how did that. That script, then when you got that one, you were like, this is a. Yes.

[William H. Macy]

Fabulous.

[Ego Wodem]

Instantly.

[William H. Macy]

I'm good at reading scripts.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

I always have been.

[Ego Wodem]

What are you looking for when you read a script? Not even in terms of, like, saying yes to it, right? Yes, the story. But, like, what else are you looking for? Is there pros, like.

[William H. Macy]

No, the story.

[Ego Wodem]

Just the story.

[William H. Macy]

Don't go to second base if the story is not good.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

That's all the audience wants to know. When you think, when you make a movie, we have to remember this. In our business, only thing they want to know is what happens next.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

All this stuff about our sense memories and the. The tricky thing that those pairs. That pair of pants does or the lighting or something like that.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah, it's great.

[William H. Macy]

It makes Everything better. But you're losing if the audience is watching that. They just want to know the story.

[Ego Wodem]

Well, what to you constitutes a good story?

[William H. Macy]

That's a great question. It's true in, in the sense of. To human emotions. I can relate to it. There's something truth. There's a core of truth about it. Unexpected. The best is when you didn't see that coming with the end.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

And then the writing. Beautiful. I just love beautiful writing. I mentioned Dave Mamet taught me everything I know. And he's a magnificent writer. Changed everything for a hundred years. After Dave came out, everything started sounding like him. He changed everything. Anything. And his scripts are a joy. You literally like saying the lines out loud.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

They're like the lyrics of your favorite song.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

And I've always said you find two guys who have done American Buffalo and played teach and we'll start doing the lines together. It's like singing. It's like a duet.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

And he's so funny. Anyway.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

Good lines. And the, the, the writing on. On the. On the land is really good.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. That's very. I mean I respond to that too. Especially an unexpected twist in a story.

[William H. Macy]

Ain't it delicious?

[Ego Wodem]

It is really nice. It's so it that I don't know what it is. What it is about that that just makes you go. That's something I, I watching. I'm watching a bunch of movies now hosting the Indie Spirit Awards, which I'm very excited about. But I'm watching a bunch of. You're available. Will you come do a bit with me? Okay. He's improv. Okay. Okay. Okay. Train dreams. Okay. Yes, yes, yes. Okay. So I, I am. What I'm enjoying about watching all the movies is. And I feel like I tend to see this with like indie films. It's the. That's more unexpected, less formulaic in a way. Like you. They know the formula clearly, but then they break the formula. Like you, you Lear rules to break the rules. And that's. I'm enjoying that about a lot of the films.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

I'm like, that's my favorite thing. Have you seen anything recently that you're really loving? Film wise television? Anything really you're a big fan of?

[William H. Macy]

Is this thing on Was just. I howled. It's hard to make me laugh.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh yeah.

[William H. Macy]

I belly laughed through that. There's a joke about a picture that's. I knew it was coming. You know, you talk about unexpected.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

What's really great is when they tell you everything you need to know about that Event happening, but you still didn't know it was gonna happen.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

[William H. Macy]

That's the best.

[Ego Wodem]

Is this thing on we gotta watch?

[William H. Macy]

Yeah, that's really.

[Ego Wodem]

Have you guys seen it? Okay. Not yet. It's on the list.

[William H. Macy]

You know, I've seen all the ones that are nominated, all the best pictures.

[Ego Wodem]

And that's all you have to say about that, is that you've seen them?

[William H. Macy]

Yeah, no, I like a lot of them. The level of filmmaking this year is really high. It's a bad year to get nominated.

[Ego Wodem]

I know. Sometimes I feel that for Phil Bakers. Every once in a while I'm like. Like, man, if you were nominated the year before or the year after, you'd be a shoe in the competition. I've thought that, like, has a filmmaker ever regretted making their movie in the year that they did? Like, damn it to. The competition is stiff. It is this year. Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

The level of filmmaking is really high. It's a great time for movies, I think.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

People are doing great work.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. It's very cool. Do you think. Has your daughter shadowed you on sets?

[William H. Macy]

No, she never shadowed me. But they visited sets a lot. I guess something wears off. I mean, at least they know that environment. They're in a bunch of scenes in Desperate Housewives because they'd be hanging out on set and they'd say, okay, here we go. And Flick would lift the. The restaurant tablecloth and they'd scurry under there and they'd sit there for the scene. Oh, wow.

[Ego Wodem]

It is very cute.

[William H. Macy]

Quietly a lot of times, too.

[Ego Wodem]

So your daughter under the table.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. I wonder if we could find the seeds. Is there any indication. Table. The tablecloth moving a little bit? No indication now.

[William H. Macy]

It might move, but there's. Then they were good.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. Incredible.

[William H. Macy]

And Sophia, John Wells called up and there was. In our final episode. Yes. He said, what about Sophia playing the nurse?

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, wow.

[William H. Macy]

So we did that together.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, that's special. How was that for. For you?

[William H. Macy]

It was magnificent that she was there. It made it. It all the more special. I think John. John knew that it would make it special. And that was a fabulous ending. It's hard to end those shows.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

I mean, some series ends and. And people are angry with them.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes, it's true.

[William H. Macy]

But I love the ending of that. I gotta say, A lot of it was my idea. I thought of it in the 11th year. The 10th year.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah. And John had been thinking about it too, and we both had complimentary ideas. And that was the ending.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. Oh, that's Special. That's so cool. I'm excited to see Sophia in the, in this new show as well. Friend. I say Charlie Clive is also in it. I don't know if you know Charlie. Yeah, I'm excited. It looks really good. I saw the trailer recently.

[William H. Macy]

Oh, my God, I love Steve Care.

[Ego Wodem]

It's gonna be good.

[William H. Macy]

He's the best.

[Ego Wodem]

He is.

[William H. Macy]

He's, he's always good.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. Yeah. I'm very, very excited. I read that script and it's a good one. It's a good one. You know, now it's time for a segment I like to call that's Nice, but what about Me? Okay.

[William H. Macy]

I like it already.

[Ego Wodem]

Thank you. Because you're here, I'm going to ask you a question that I hope you can answer. I need a piece of advice. Auditioning. I still do it sometimes. I imagine you're not auditioning anymore. People are just your offer only. Right. You've earned that. Right. When you were auditioning, toward the end of auditioning, if you will, what did you do to make it fun for you?

[William H. Macy]

You could do this professionally. That's a great question, because I did absolutely do something, and it was this. I, I. The way I approach acting is that it's all about the objective. It's not how you feel, it's what you want. We're always striving to right the boat, whatever's wrong with it. And that's where the conflict comes. You think that I think this, or you're the problem and I'm the solution. And so it's what you're doing is what's important. And I was so sick of auditioning that I took the attitude of, look it, this is what I'm going to do. If that's not right, right, don't hire me because this is what I'm going to do.

[Ego Wodem]

And it makes them want you.

[William H. Macy]

And I literally said out loud, I think this is a scene about. And I would say, I, I would. I think it's a scene about him trying to get a big favor or something like that. And they go, yeah. Or sometimes they go, I'm. I think it's different. And we're off to the races. And like, like I'm talking to my sister. No, no. Like you're talking to a stranger. Oh, I get you.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

Now he's. Or she is a little pregnant.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[William H. Macy]

Anyway, I started booking. Oh. I walked in saying, I'll show you what I'm gonna do as good as I can do it. If I'm not the Guy, get some. Put each other out of our misery and get out of here.

[Ego Wodem]

So would you say that out loud? That was your vibe. You were set. You were articulating this.

[William H. Macy]

No, the only thing I articulated is I think this is a scene about this.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. Okay. And then would you ever finish that sentence in a way that you knew might make them go, I don't think so. I disagree.

[William H. Macy]

Yes. A couple of times.

[Ego Wodem]

People intentionally.

[William H. Macy]

I don't think that's what's going on.

[Ego Wodem]

Right. Okay. That was intentional when you would do that. When you say, I think it's a scene about him needing a big favor. It was to try to get. Spark a conversation.

[William H. Macy]

No.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

To plant my flag.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. Okay.

[William H. Macy]

I think what this is about. And if I say he's trying to get a big favor now, they know what to judge me against. They know exactly what I'm doing when I read it.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

And whatever, you know, improv I put in there, not with the lines, but, you know, taking pauses, crossing your arms, or, you know, body language.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. Say, okay, I'm gonna take.

[William H. Macy]

Then they know what I'm up to.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

And it could spark a conversation because they see that, and whether they know it or not, they go, well, that is what she was doing. But I don't think it's that. And they'll. You'll get.

[Ego Wodem]

All of a sudden, you're off to the races again. They're. They're. They're into you. This is good. Yeah. Thank you.

[William H. Macy]

And you know what? The first part is important. This is what I'm going to do. Because, you know, we come from a tradition where the director is the grand dom or the grand old man of the theater and has been around forever and knows everything. Tradition doesn't exist now. It's whoever. And sometimes, you know, the director appears to be 17 years old, and here he is doing this big film. Oh, well, my point is, I didn't like them. They said, no, I think it's more this. And, you know, they're. They want more emotion or they want some result or they want the obvious. And I didn't have a good feeling about them. And that's a good thing to know at that point. I mean, I. What I'm talking about is really ballsy behavior.

[Ego Wodem]

Right. And you're saying toward the end of your audition.

[William H. Macy]

This was after I had done Fargo before it made a difference, you know, But I was feeling my oats, and I started booking more.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

Just by announcing my attention and. And sort of saying to myself, we're Judging each other.

[Ego Wodem]

There's something to be said for someone having such confidence and clarity on who they are and what they're bringing to the table when they're saying, you can take it or leave it, I'm fine with either option. I do think it intrigues people because the few times I've also been like, I don't know if I'm right for this. They're like, wait, I think you're really right. And it's not a mind game. I'm like, truly, sincerely, I'm not sure if I'm right. And it's such an interesting reaction because I've also been in the position where I'm like, please give me this job. I really want this job. And it never quite works out that way.

[William H. Macy]

Well, your friends are right. Don't ever say that phrase again.

[Ego Wodem]

Which one?

[William H. Macy]

I don't think I'm right for this. No, don't say it. Don't say it.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

There are millions of people who want to decide whether you're right or not.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

No, I mean, they're dozens.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

You don't have to take that on. They'll decide.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

And if they say it's you, we'll take it to the bank. It's you. So figure out what part of you.

[Ego Wodem]

I thought you were gonna.

[William H. Macy]

In other words, quit auditioning. You got the role.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

So now do it.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Sound. Sound wisdom. Thank you very much.

[William H. Macy]

You know, there's some other stuff you can do which is have the knowledge. I've directed. Have you ever directed?

[Ego Wodem]

No. I'd like to.

[William H. Macy]

Well, I'll tell you. On the first day, the most frightened person on the set is not the actors, it's the director. Because the. It's. The responsibility is. Especially on an indie. But the responsibility is crushing. And the good ones can take all that pressure and they still shine. I couldn't. I fell apart. Oh, my God. And. But just know that when you go to the audition, the director is praying that the character walks in the door. If you're perfect for it, then he or she can go, whoo. I don't have to worry about that. And you go to the next thing to worry about in your list. Yeah. But when they're excited about who they found, because it's perfect. So to that end, I think it's a good idea to walk in a little bit. A little bit. As the character. Find that part of yourself. And when I say a little bit, if they know what you're doing, you're fucked. That's not good.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

They got to think you were born to play this.

[Ego Wodem]

Ah, yeah. So you mean from we're talking when you walk in the room and it's like, hello, I'm in character a little bit.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

And God willing, you get to walk in the room and say hello. I preferred that. The self tapes.

[Ego Wodem]

I don't like self tapes.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

I love the thrill of getting one shot, but that's maybe masochistic. I don't. But I really do love the like.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah. They make you do it in one

[Ego Wodem]

take and then when you go in person and the notion. I feel like when you go in person, the notion is you're gonna get to do this one time. You might get redirected if you get there. If they have time for. But in my mind, when you walk into an in person audition, it's like one chance. Let's see what you do.

[William H. Macy]

Yep.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. And I. For me, self tapes, getting to do it over and over and over and over again is. I don't enjoy that for a myriad of reasons.

[William H. Macy]

I. My daughter and her boyfriend both push back, but they give you these instructions to do it straight on and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And they don't say that you can't move. So I always said do it here and then walk forward for your own close up. Oh, you. You can do that. And I don't think anyone's going to go take the tape out. They broke the rules.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

If someone follows you so you can choreograph it.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

And I think it's terrible if you overdress. But if it's a. A doctor, you could at least wear a white blouse.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

So they get. And just make it easy as you can on the director. Be the character.

[Ego Wodem]

What do you think about props in an audition, a self tape audition?

[William H. Macy]

Well, sometimes I think it's more self conscious to not have the props than it is to go ahead and get a freaking telephone. Well, that's the rule. Imagine yourself trying to figure out who you're going to choose because you're going to sit there for. For 30 or 40 tapes doing the same scene over and over again.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

Do what you can to help the director out.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

To see the scene.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

I got another trick. Right.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

You ready?

[Ego Wodem]

Yes, I'm ready.

[William H. Macy]

They sent you that scene for a reason. Find that reason. And it's going to be one sentence. It'll be one moment.

[Ego Wodem]

Mm.

[William H. Macy]

It's a page. But there's this moment where something happens. They want to see if you can do that moment. That's why they chose that scene.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

And that, you can imagine, is a big moment.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

I'm assuming it's a real role. You know, you're going to be in the thing a bit. And so when you. When you do your self test, that's the moment.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. Okay.

[William H. Macy]

And if nothing else, pause.

[Ego Wodem]

Is it because it makes people lean in like I'm doing?

[William H. Macy]

It's because of this.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

So I just took a long pause and I can tell you, just waiting to see what I'm going to say. It works. Take a pause and then do the moment.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. Oh, I'm gonna do it.

[William H. Macy]

Try it.

[Ego Wodem]

Do you think it'll work in a comedy?

[William H. Macy]

Absolutely. And it could be. That's the moment.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

How are you gonna do the punchline If I.

[Ego Wodem]

If I book my next job?

[William H. Macy]

I'll take 10.

[Ego Wodem]

No problem. No problem. This is a verbal binding contract. No problem. I'm curious, too. This is not advice for me, but maybe it could be. How you. The distillery. You guys make vodka, whiskey, gin. Okay. How would you characterize each of those spirits? Not. Not necessarily Woody Creeks, but just in general. What would you say Whiskey's personality is?

[Commercial Announcer 4]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

I write songs on ukulele for Woody Creek.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay, great.

[William H. Macy]

I sing about the distillery and the people in it and the stuff. And I had this idea for a song that I'm singing, Two Spirits.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

And it starts off, hello, Vodka. I'm sorry, I've been out of town. You know, I've been working. You're the first one I've called up. Okay. So I was thinking about all these different spirits and Vodka. Vodka's the girl who gets along with everyone. You can take her anywhere, man. She just works. She doesn't have a big range of personality, but what she does, she does really well. And if I can be blunt, she's a little bland, sometimes a little boring.

[Ego Wodem]

That's okay. We all know her.

[William H. Macy]

Rye Whiskey.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

Comes from New York. And we'll tell you, you know.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah, it's.

[William H. Macy]

It's. It's sophisticated and it's been around the block, but it's got an accent. Bourbon's got a Southern accent. And she's, you know, she's flirty and, you know, and I came up with all this stuff until I got to Tequila. And this is Tequila. Okay, Tequila. You. You know, I almost lost my job. What were you thinking? Get out of here. I never want to see you. Wait a minute. Come back. I'm sorry. It was.

[Ego Wodem]

That's good. That's good. Okay. But gin, which I'm on now. People are not into gin. But I'm so into gin now.

[William H. Macy]

I am too. Gin and tonic.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes.

[William H. Macy]

I love them.

[Ego Wodem]

Love.

[William H. Macy]

And I love tonic water, the quinine. And I have never had malaria.

[Ego Wodem]

Not once. I have as a kid. Can you believe?

[William H. Macy]

But I would not drink enough gin and tonics. Blame your parents.

[Ego Wodem]

Drinking enough. I wasn't drinking enough gin as a four year old.

[William H. Macy]

So we got two gins, a regular gin and the aforementioned Mary's gin. The purple gin.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

The botanicals are fabulous in that they're not a secret. But gosh, rye whiskey is made from rye. Rye grass. And the law says it's gotta be 51% rye whiskey.

[Ego Wodem]

Whiskey.

[William H. Macy]

And that's my jam. I love rye whiskey and I'm a southern boy.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

And we. I put out a signature rye. It was a blind barrel tasting. Seven barrels. That was a trip. And the one I chose, they put in a really cool box. It's a Trifold and it's bottled in bond and 10 years old. And yummy, yummy, yummy. It's really fine. The second one I chose, that one was an 80, 20 mash bill. 20% malt. I couldn't believe it. Second one I chose, I could have sworn had some malt. It was 100 rye.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, okay.

[William H. Macy]

Which is a hat trick. That's hard to distill.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[William H. Macy]

And we've got a couple of ryes. The bourbon, it has to be corn. 51%. And we've got a bunch of them. There's a high rye bourbon that everyone like. There's a weeded bourbon. We got straight corn bourbon. We got a bunch. What am I missing?

[Ego Wodem]

We're missing our chip.

[William H. Macy]

The vodka is 100 potato vodka.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

Which has a taste. You know, vodka tastes like what you mix it with it. It's a clear spirit.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes.

[William H. Macy]

Ours has a taste because it's. There's eight potatoes in every bottle and it's. They sort of grind it into mashed potatoes and that goes in the mash and it leaves a taste. It's good.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. I'm looking forward to my delivery. I'll be trying.

[William H. Macy]

The gin is on its way.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. I'm very excited. I'll be getting gin and tonics. I won't be getting malaria ever again.

[William H. Macy]

We're here.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes, we're here.

[William H. Macy]

In Total Wine and more.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes.

[William H. Macy]

And a couple of other places.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[William H. Macy]

But you can always get it. Go online. Woody Creek Distillers.

[Ego Wodem]

I'm such an improviser. I thought you were Saying this is. I'm setting the location. And I was like, I'm ready to do the scene. We're here at Total Wine and.

[William H. Macy]

Okay, we're here being la.

[Ego Wodem]

Exactly. Exactly. No, I register. We have to give an listener advice. If you're up for it, we're gonna give a list. Kevin, we're so ready.

[Caller Zach]

Hey, Ego, it's Zach. I have a question about something I have a lot of trouble with, which is, whenever I'm waiting on the outcome or resolution to something that's been stressing me out, causing me anxiety, I have a. I find I have a really hard time waiting for the outcome and kind of sitting in that uncomfortableness as I wait. You know, I always feel the need to reach out or check in and try to grab on to some, you know, emotional control of the situation. So I was wondering if you guys had any advice on how to sit in that uncomfortable this and wait for the resolution to come to you. Because often that is what is best, is just waiting.

[William H. Macy]

I hope you have.

[Caller Zach]

So. Thank you. Also, Shout out Baltimore County. Shout out Eastern Tech. Catch me at the White Marsh Avenue in 2005, acting a damn fool on a group date to see Hitch. Thank you.

[William H. Macy]

Oh, you sly dog.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, wow. Okay.

[William H. Macy]

I hope you have an answer, because I got that same problem.

[Ego Wodem]

You have the same problem. I don't. If you don't have an answer, I can imagine mine means anything. But my immediate instinct in hearing that was meditation Nation.

[William H. Macy]

Right.

[Ego Wodem]

I feel like you got to breathe and I don't. There's real breath work. Have you ever done breath work?

[William H. Macy]

Yes. It's real.

[Ego Wodem]

It's real and it's incredible. And it really is work, by the way. Kind of exhaust. Well, initially, it feels very exhausting, and then you get into this sort of, like, hypnotized state.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

But I would say that it just grounds you because I understand the desire. I always want answers. I like quick answers. I like clarity. I don't like ambiguity. Kevin, my producer, will tell you it goes always like, hey, what's happening here? What's the update here? I really like answers. Yeah. But I think you have to meditate because it brings you right back to here. You know, you're okay. Yeah. Generally. Usually have everything you need, and the answer will come to you. So you've got to.

[William H. Macy]

The only part of that I don't like is the meditation. Okay, tell me why I don't like meditating. Okay. I hear two things. You have to meditate, and you have to take yoga, and they're both absolutely 100 correct.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. Yeah. But what do you not like about the meditating? Is it just the stillness bothers you? Is it. What is exactly.

[William H. Macy]

I'm being hyperbolic a little bit. I played around with TM and a couple of other things, but I don't know. I don't know why I don't do it. It's a good idea. I should. I should practice, and it would help. But I do do. Oh.

[Ego Wodem]

I said, doo, doo, doo, doo, and we gotcha. Our work here is done.

[William H. Macy]

Some meditative stuff, I guess.

[Ego Wodem]

What meditative stuff do you do?

[William H. Macy]

Well, if I'm really flipping out, that breathing.

[Ego Wodem]

It's really good.

[William H. Macy]

Good.

[Ego Wodem]

It's good.

[William H. Macy]

Yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

Or journal, by the way, if you don't like meditating. I think an alternative to it is journaling, I think. I'm not a therapist. Don't sue me if this doesn't work. But I'm like. I like to journal. Get your thoughts out. What are you so anxious about?

[William H. Macy]

I. I've got the advantage of him. Because I put it on a bunch more miles and it sort of naturally falls away, you know? When. When are we going to find out? You know, I just go, I got time.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. Yeah. I have time.

[William H. Macy]

I got nothing but time.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. I mean, honestly, if we're in this. In this world of speaking about meditation, I feel like that's something to repeat to yourself. You have time. It'll work out. Maybe you need mantras that'll help.

[William H. Macy]

You want to hear a breathing story?

[Ego Wodem]

Yes, please.

[William H. Macy]

I got. They called me up to do Speed the Plow on Broadway to replace somebody. And I had weeks to learn it over Christmas, and I almost had it, but it was. It's a lot to learn. It's Dave Mamet, which is not easy to learn. And so yada, yada, yada, go to New York. And Felicity was there for the. I said, oh, my God, I'm in trouble. I can't get through this. She said, breathe, just breathe. And I said, oh, my God. I went to the rehearsal today. I went up four times. She said, breathe, just breathe. And then she had to leave town. And she said, remember, breathe, just breathe. And I went, would you shut up with the breathing? I don't know the lines. Breathing. I'm breathing. I don't know the lines. And she said, yeah, breathe. Just breathe. So, boom, I'm sitting at the desk. There's an act curtain. I can hear the audience. The stage manager says, you're right. Ready? And I said, yeah. And then something happened, and it was about an extra minute before it went up. And I thought, well, I'm fainting. I was lightheaded, and I. I grabbed the desk and I thought, curtain's gonna come up and I'll be white and fall forward. Oh, God. And my wife's voice came into my head. Breathe. And I breathed. And I took about 10 cleansing breaths, and it calmed me down. And I got through the play and you didn't.

[Ego Wodem]

And the curtains didn't open to you, Pastor.

[William H. Macy]

I was upright.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay, that is good. Felic. Felicity. We started kind of by thanking Felicity. Sound advice, sage wisdom, truly. And it's wild how much our breath. Not to be this girl, but I am this girl. It's wild just how much our breath can ground us. And it's this thing we do so mindlessly and we take for granted, but if we, like, actually hone in on it and zero in on it, it is so remarkably calming. It's wild. But that's a fun story. And Felicity, right? Once again, happy. Nearly 30 years to you, too. I'm so happy you agreed to do my podcast. Thank you for being here.

[William H. Macy]

This is fun. I love this.

[Ego Wodem]

Thank you. This was fun for me, too. Thank you. That was my conversation with William H. Macy. I mean, the man is wise. He has lived a lot of life. Life in some sense. His words, not mine. Anyway, I feel like I got a lot, and maybe I'll book my next audition or something. I'm very excited. If you want advice from me and my next guest, all you have to do is call us and leave me a message. It's 502-849-3237. Again, it's 502-849-3 237. I cannot wait to hear from you. I cannot wait to attempt to help you. Please, I want to help you. I don't know what I'm doing, but I want to help you. So call, leave a message, and maybe my next guest and I will be giving you advice. Thanks, guys. Thanks, dad. Is a production of Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and I Heart Podcast. I'm your host, Ego Wodem. Our producer is Kevin Bartelt, and our executive producer is Matt Apodaca.

[Commercial Announcer 1]

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[William H. Macy]

Janice Torres here and I'm Austin Hankwitz. We host the podcast Mind the Small Business Success Stories, produced by Ruby Studio in partnership with Intuit QuickBooks.

[Commercial Announcer 3]

We're back for season four to talk to some incredible small business owners.

[William H. Macy]

The big thing about working at tech

[Ego Wodem]

is that it's ever evolving, ever changing. Everyone's a rookie. That's how fast the industry is changing. So what I'm really excited about is

[William H. Macy]

to be part of that change. So listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts

[Commercial Announcer 2]

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