William H. Macy, the award-winning actor known for his role in Shameless, has spent nearly five decades in Hollywood. Now, at 76, he is opening up about which actors he found most challenging to work with.
Macy's Candid Comments on the We Might Be Drunk Podcast
Appearing on the We Might Be Drunk podcast with comedians Mark Normand and Sam Morril, the conversation quickly turned to celebrity gossip. Normand bluntly asked, 'We gotta ask, which actors do you really hate?' He then listed famous names, including Tommy Lee Jones, with whom Macy starred in the 1994 legal thriller The Client.
Macy gave a diplomatic but revealing response: 'He was rough.' However, he stopped short of full disclosure, adding, 'I'm not letting out any secrets.' He then hinted at a broader frustration with Hollywood stars who make productions miserable behind the scenes. 'You know, there are a lot of actors out there, it pisses me off, who make life miserable for a lot of people and they don't get busted for it and it pisses me off,' he said.
Rumors About Jim Carrey
The hosts also asked Macy about rumors surrounding Jim Carrey, who has long faced whispers about difficult behavior on set. Macy clarified that he and Carrey never worked together but admitted, 'I did not act with him, but I've just heard he can be really tough.'
Macy's Career Journey
Unlike many stars who entered Hollywood through blockbuster franchises or child acting, Macy built his reputation slowly through decades of theater work, tiny indie films, and character roles. He began his career on stage and spent years grinding through smaller projects before his breakout role in Fargo catapulted him into the spotlight, earning him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
He later became one of Hollywood's most recognizable character actors, appearing in films such as Psycho, Jurassic Park III, Spartan, and The Lincoln Lawyer. On television, he became equally iconic through roles in ER and as the chaotic patriarch Frank Gallagher in Shameless, a role he played for more than a decade.
Across his career, Macy has won two Emmy Awards, four Screen Actors Guild Awards, and earned multiple Golden Globe nominations.
Other Reports of Carrey's Behavior
Macy is not the only person to suggest Jim Carrey can be difficult to work with. While filming the 1999 Andy Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon, Carrey stayed in character the entire time, refusing to take direction from director Miloš Forman and endlessly provoking the cast with his antics. Carrey also famously frustrated everyone involved with Kick-Ass 2 (2013) after denouncing the film and refusing to promote it several months before its release.
