FESTIVAL REPORT: William H. Macy Tribute

[Photo by Randy Malone]

By Sandi Butchkiss

BIFF DigiComm Commando

From the applause, screams andwhistles from the packed house you would think Macy was a rock star. Not just an award winning TV, film and stageactor of high repute.

If you couldn’t get a ticket, youmissed him being given the BIFF Vanguard Award for his ground-breaking andinnovative work as an actor for his body of work in such films as “Fargo,”“Door to Door,” Mr. Holland’s Opus,” “A Civic Action” and many dozens more.

If you couldn’t make it, you alsoalso missed him keeping the conversation flowing with comments such as….

BIFF Special Event Producer and Host Ron Bostwick (left) interviews Macy. [Photo by Randy Malone]

About comedian Don Rickles “He ishysterically funny…until the camera rolls.”

And fellow actor, heart-throb BradPitt “I think he’s the bee’s knees.”

About his leading role in Fargo “I wanted that partso badly I told Ethan Cohen if I didn’t get it I would shoot his dog.”

About our state “I love Colorado, My wife Felicity grew up in Aspen.”

In regard to his many years inChicago acting, teaching and founding the St. Nicholas Theater with collegebuddies David Mamet and Steven Schacter “I had a great time in Chicago in thosedays….that was before sex killed you.”

About working on the long-runningTV series, ER “I was a special guest on ER but not really a member of the cast for4 seasons. Then I told them to either give me a contract or write me out. Theywrote me out.”

About working with award-winningdirectors Cohen brothers “They are like two hippies that someone gave a lot ofmoney to.”

Joking about being offered roles inmotion pictures “What I want to know before I accept any part is…how much do Iget paid and do I have to get wet.”

About making decisions over hiscareer “I said I would never play a loser again…and then I read the script forThe Cooler and said ok one more loser.”

About his long time close friend,collaborator and playwright David Mamet “Ilove David and think he is a bona fide genius….but he just became a Republican.I don’t understand that. Maybe just to annoy me.”

Bill Macy was never considered anattractive leading man, but in person his hair is long and lustrous (due to hisrole in the TV smash hit “Shamless”), his eyes are an incredible shade of blueand he’s disarmingly charming, funny and self-effacing ….and kinda sexy too…and,I must admit, that, in person, he is darn attractive.

And when someone in the audience atthe end of the Q & A asked about the rumor that he plays the ukulele, andit suddenly materialized from behind the curtain and he strummed along and sangus all a delightful ditty that he recently wrote in honor of his new next doorneighbor, this was the perfect ending to a great evening….and the standingovation was definitely in order.

Everyone filed out in a blissfulafter-glow, feeling that they were privy to a cozy, personal, real conversationwith a major celebrity who just couldn’t have been any nicer.