Happy Monday Morning y'all.....

I was just watching a rerun of ER...and saw once again a commercial for the TNT movie, The Wool Cap. It's a movie about this eccentric older man and this little, black girl. The old guy gets stuck with the little girl...and a touching movie ensues.

I know I will watch this movie...for one reason above all others. I will watch this movie because it stars the amazingly talented William H. Macy. I adore this man...and just think he brings so much to a role. He is an actor's actor...and I don't think I have ever watched a movie or show that he has been in...and have left less than impressed. Macy is one of those actors...where he truly becomes the character. You forget that you are watching Macy...and just see the character. I watched him a couple of weeks ago on Inside the Actors Studio. Other than consistently being annoyed by James Lipton, I was once again amazed at how intense an actor Macy is. It's all about the part and process for him...not about the fame and the notority.

Did I ever tell y'all that I met Bill Macy? Yep, I did. When I was in college...a small women's college in Vermont...I used to work on campus during the summers. I managed the advising office. Well, the college sold out the campus in the summers to a bunch of different groups...and one of them was an acting troup from NYC. We had weeks of granola crunchy wannabe actors mulling around our campus...soaking in the country aroma of Vermont. What's the upside to this? Macy was one of the instructors for this troup....so, he spent a couple of weeks milling around the campus as well. He could have stayed at a swanky hotel...but instead, he stayed at one of the makeshift apartments on campus. So, I often saw him walking around in the evenings...just seemingly hanging out.

Anyways...I am sure you are expecting to hear some story of a self-absorbed actor who thought the world revolved around him. I am sorry to say...I cannot satisfy you there. He was nothing but kind and sweet. I worked in the office down the hall from where the acting kids had all of their workshops. So, about once every other day...Macy would pop his head in and ask to borrow a stapler...or to ask where he might be able to find a projector...or to ask where to find a nice, local place for dinner. He was always so unassuming and kind....made me wanna help him all the more.

Two more things impressed me. He always returned whatever he borrowed. No one these days returns what they borrow....no one. I had professors borrow things all the time...and they almost NEVER returned them. He would end the artsy, acting session and bring me back my stapler or my scissors and apologize for not being more prepared. And secondly...he learned my name. By the second or third time he came calling for something, he would start with a "Hello Shelley!" Once again...most professors who came with some "it's not my job" request...had no interest in learning my name.

He was just a kind man...and also one of the most talented actors on the planet. It was nice to get a window picture into the life of a Hollywood actor...that just didn't seem very Hollywood. Those wannabe actors...were lucky to have them as one of their instructors.

Ok..no more name dropping for me. I am even beginning to be sick of myself! *winks*