Felicity Huffman And Husband William H. Macy Share Secrets Of Their 25-Year Marriage

Nov 02, 2022 by apost team

Actress Felicity Huffman is perhaps best known for her roles in the series "Frasier," "Desperate Housewives" and "When They See Us." As a celebrated actor, she has received numerous awards for her work.

As a young actress in the '90s, she starred in the comedic drama television series "Sports Night," and earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for her part as Dana Whitaker. She also took home the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her part in "Desperate Housewives" as Lynette Scavo. Huffman also holds three Screen Actors Guild Awards and three consecutive Golden Globe nominations.

But perhaps her best role was in the 1977 film adaptation of the David Mamet play, "The Water Engine," where Huffman acted opposite her soon-to-be husband actor William H. Macy. While Huffman only had the bit part of "dancehall girl" and Macy the leading part of factory worker Charles Lang, clearly the two had a connection. The two had met earlier and while it would take years of coaxing from Macy's side to convince the actress to marry, their eventual union is truly the stuff of storybooks. 

After more than two decades together, the couple often gushes in interviews about how they found bliss with their one-time co-star, lifelong co-pilot. Macy, who is best known for his role in "Shameless," posted a touching series of photos from their July 2022 trip to Kenya. The two spoke to Closer about their 25 years of marriage and revealed some of their secrets to lasting happiness together. 

In a 2017 interview with Closer, the couple opened up about their successful marriage. Prior to tying the knot, the two had dated on and off for a whopping 15 years. The actress had spoken in the past about her hesitancy to marry. Speaking to the Trib in 2015, as reported by People, about her on-again-off-again relationship with Macy, Huffman said, “I was so scared of marriage that I thought I would've preferred to step in front of a bus."

But this anxiety and fear in his beloved didn't deter Macy. The actor persisted. Huffman relayed how “Bill Macy asked me to marry him several times over several years. And I was finally smart enough to go: ‘I'm going to marry this guy or really lose him for good.' And it was after we broke up for four or five years when he asked me again, I knew I couldn't say no." Thankfully, Huffman finally took the leap. The two married on Sept. 6, 1997, and have been together ever since. 

Huffman continued, speaking to how she grew into and because of her marriage: "It was the work I had to do in order to bring myself to the marriage and then the work that I did to be able to trust another person and see what comes out of that comfort and that safety. I was able to blossom out of that.”

Another part of their secret to success seems to be the couple's willingness to not impede each other's careers and to encourage their progress as actors. 

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Macy, speaking to Closer, said: “We read each other’s scripts; we work together ... We both love acting — it’s the only language that we have.” Clearly, the couple's shared love of acting is part of the glue that holds them together. 

Huffman also beamed about her husband and his talent in front of the camera. She said: “I love to act with Bill. He makes you better ... You know how if you play a sport with someone who is better than you, your game will improve? It’s true with acting as well.” However, running lines and blocking isn't the only thing that's keeping the couple deeply in love. They also share other common interests. “We (also) love to go running together and I enjoy reading with him,” Huffman added. 

So what advice does Huffman have for anyone looking to enjoy as successful of a relationship as she has? “Marry Bill!” she frankly told reporters. Her husband offered almost the same advice and said, “Marry Felicity!” It seems the two lovebirds are happy with one another and clearly can't see a life with anyone else. 

Macy did admit, however, that their decades-long marriage does occasionally mean the two vacation together to tend to their spark. He told Closer: "Sometimes we go away. We find a hotel, and we just get away for a weekend.” 

The couple has two daughters together, Sophia and Georgia, so understandably even at their respective ages, they may need to take some time away in order to spend time as a couple, not just as mom and dad. The Macy-Huffman family dealt with a degree of drama when they were implicated in the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal. Now released, Huffman has resumed her life as a loving wife and mother.  

What's your favorite of Huffman's roles? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends and family, as well as any fans of "Desperate Housewives"!