William H Macy on working with Mel Gibson in Blood Father and the need for second chances

The star of Fargo, Boogie Nights and Magnolia says that his latest movie is a departure for him but he could not miss the chance to work with a film great

William H Macy in Blood Father. Courtesy Front Row Filmed Entertainment

Indie favourite William H Macy, the star of Fargo and Boogie Nights among many other acclaimed roles, is back on our screens this weekend in a supporting role alongside Mel Gibson in Blood Father.

The film is a brutal revenge thriller in which alcoholic ex-con John Link (Gibson) goes on a blood-soaked rampage to protect his teenage daughter, with the help of Kirby (Macy), his best friend.

Macy admits that he’s not usually a fan of the this type of revenge-thriller genre.

“I don’t normally like violent movies, and I must admit this came out a little more violent than I thought it would,” he says. “But I feel that’s kind of legitimate, kind of earned, if you know what I mean. It’s a familiar story of the guy dragged back into a life of crime and it just works so well here.”

Macy admits that a big part of the movie’s appeal was the chance to work with Gibson.

"For me the chance to work with Mel was a dream come true," he says. "I shoot [TV channel Showtime's remake of the British comedy-drama] Shameless most of the year, so it's very difficult to find a film I can do, and these dates just happened to work out perfectly. The chance to act with Mel was all I needed."

The chance to work with Gibson may have been appealing – and his movie back catalogue certainly speaks for itself – but the Mad Max and Braveheart star has been off the Hollywood radar in recent years following his battles with alcohol and a series of well-publicised incidents in his personal life that sparked allegations of bigotry, misogynism, racism and an anti-semitism.

So was Macy concerned that his own reputation could be damaged by working with Hollywood’s current bete-noir?

“No – perhaps I’m being naive but I think that whole episode had a lot to do with drinking and he paid a dear price for all that,” Macy says.

“When I met him, I could tell he was still reeling from it – but I think we have to forgive people. Everyone deserves a second chance.

“A good friend asked me the same question and I suddenly thought, ‘Oh – have I done something political? I didn’t think so.’ Mel went underground for a long time [his last starring role was in 2011’s The Beaver, though he has also appeared in the Machete and Expendables franchises since] and I just figured he was ready to do another movie and I was happy to do it with him.”

Another trick aspect of making Blood Father was the fact that the film's French director, Jean-Francois Richet – best known for his 2008, two-part French film Mesrine – by his own admission, speaks little English, though Macy says this was not a problem.

“He speaks enough English to communicate a little, and there were plenty of people around in the crew to help,” he says. “Jean-Francois is just a dynamo. He has a stunning visual sense. He got that southwestern desolate look so well – it’s strange that a foreigner could just nail that feeling.”

Indeed, some English-speaking directors barely speak to the cast, Macy adds.

“Some directors are very hands-on and in your face and want to talk things to death, and that can be great,” he says. “Others are very quiet – you hardly hear from them. It’s a result of a lot of planning and this was one of those – it just sort of evolved on set. I have no memory of feeling adrift at all. We all spoke the language of the film, I guess.”

With Blood Father in the can, it is back to Shameless for Macy – season 7 is due to begin in the US in October. How does Macy find remaking such an iconic piece of British television culture?

“It was dicey,” he admits. “I watched a lot of the first season of the UK version and it shook me. It was so good, I just thought, ‘Can we really do better than this?’ As it’s turned out, our version is completely different, yet they both work, which I think is credit to the original conceit of this family and who they are.

“I imagine we could do a Spanish version of it or a Russian version. Everybody has a Frank Gallagher figure in their life. Everywhere I go, people say, ‘Oh, I have an Uncle Frank, I’ve got stories for you, tell the writers to call me.’”

Sadly, Macy never made it past the first season of the UK original – as the strong Manchester accents proved tricky to understand.

“I must admit I tried to watch the second season – and I know it did 10 or 11 years in the UK, – but I had to give up,” he says. “I needed subtitles. We’re on our seventh season now, though, so I guess we’re doing something right.”