SUBMITTED BY Timbo

December 11, 2003 — William H. Macy, the character actor who has never really gone away, is "back" in "The Cooler". He talks to USA Today about the movie.

"In this business, if you do something well, they'll ask you to continue to do it," Macy says. "And I do these characters pretty well. I've always felt like the odd man out -- I think many actors feel this way -- so I identify with the little guy who's in over his head. And I guess I really enjoy stories where it isn't the hero, but the least likely guy who is sent out to save the day."

And in The Cooler, Macy gets the girl -- a cocktail waitress played by Maria Bello -- in some of the year's most realistic love scenes.

"What I loved about Maria is she is stupidly good-looking and was really cool about it," he says. "I met her in a coffee shop and talked about it. I said, 'We have these nude scenes. What do you think we should do?' First, she told me she thought I was sexy. She said, 'Don't worry about it. We're going to have a great time.' "

Read the rest at the link below.