William H. Macy has a very unexpected idea for a show.
I’ve tried to sell this a couple of times
, the Shameless star said on Wednesday’s episode of the Films To Be Buried With podcast hosted by Ted Lasso Emmy-winner Brett Goldstein. I wanna do a thing where, you take three episodes to have you fall in love with one of the major characters and then shoot him.
The character doesn’t die though.
But don’t write him off the show. And every week, you can see what a bullet does to a human body. You can see how it wrecks his marriage. You can see how he gets infections. You can see how he has to learn to walk again or use his hands again. You can see the deep, dark depressions
, Macy said. Let’s tell the truth about it, because I swear to God, you kill one person, there’s nothing more dramatic than that.
Macy Critiques Hollywood’s Depiction of Violence
Macy explained that he finds most movies these days to be too violent.
You kill 18 people, it’s just porn
, he said. The only thing you can do to make that more dramatic is kill 18 more.
The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes actor noted, I think at the end of the day, one thing any story has to be is true. It’s got to be true to the human experience.
Realism in Screenwriting
Macy highlighted how outlandish many films have become.
What offends me is films that aren’t true
, he declared. I think Hollywood is doing a lot of damage to the world with our portrayal of violence. It’s not true, and it’s not a good place to be lying when it comes to our portrayal of violence.
Macy confessed this perspective has cost me a lot of work.
Macy Adjusting Western for Greater Realism
Macy revealed his thoughts on adapting Westerns for modern times while maintaining historical accuracy.
Macy said a Western he’s writing — which he plans to star in alongside his daughter Sophia, whom he shares with Felicity Huffman — required some scaling back on the casualties.
When I first started off, there were nine bodies on page four
, he said, and I lobbied for us to go back to the real West and not to Westerns. Don’t imitate films.
A Look Back at Fargo
Known for his work in comedic roles in Shameless and movies like Fargo, Macy also shared some favorite comedy moments from classic films.
Macy also imparted his affection for films like Dumb and Dumber: I lived near Aspen…when they dressed up, it was supposed to be a joke…if you live in Aspen, it wasn’t a joke…
Macy’s Love for Classic Comedy
Macy expressed his enduring love for classic comedy films, including Airplane!
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