Born in Miami, Florida

Until the age of 10, lived with family in Georgia

At age 10, moved to Cumberland, Maryland

Began acting in high school in Maryland

Appeared in a Washington, DC staging of "Jesus Christ Superstar"

With David Mamet and Steven Schacter, moved to Chicago and founded the St Nicholas Theater, named for the patron saint of troubadors; the three had actually founded a prototype St Nicholas Theater earlier in Vermont

First production at St Nicholas Theater, Mamet's one-act "Squirrels"

Stage directing debut, "The Poet and the Rent" at St Nicholas Theater

Starred as Bobby in Mamet's "American Buffalo" first produced at The Goodman Theater's second stage

Debut as playwright with the children's play "The Adventures of Captain Marbles and His Acting Squad"

Spent one season as a company member of Minneapolis' Guthrie Theater Company

TV miniseries debut (credited as W H Macy), "The Awakening Land" (NBC)

Feature acting debut (credited as W H Macy), a bit role in "Foolin' Around"

Moved to NYC

Off-Broadway debut as dirctor, Mamet's one-act "Shoeshine"

Off-Broadway acting debut, "The Man in 605"

Appeared in the Circle Repertory's production of "Twelfth Night", directed by David Mamet; performed in repertory with "The Beaver Coat" by Gerhart Hauptmann

Had recurring role on the NBC soap opera "Another World" (date approximate)

Began teaching at NYU

With Mamet, co-founded the Atlantic Theatre Company in NYC; director in residence as of January 2000

First TV-movie (credited as W H Macy), "The Cradle Will Fall" (CBS)

Co-starred in the unsold HBO pilot "Sitcom", playing the son of Alan Young and Alice Hirson

Worked for one season with the Goodman Theatre Company in Chicago, acting in Mamet's adaptation of "The Cherry Orchard" and a revival of Mamet's "The Water Engine"

Early TV guest appearance on an episode of the CBS drama "The Equalizer"

First film with David Mamet, "House of Games"

Had small role as a radio actor in Woody Allen's nostalgic "Radio Days"

Broadway debut (credited as W H Macy), playing Howie Newsome in the Tony-winning revival of "Our Town",; one of a handful of cast members who did not repeat roles in PBS' adaptation

Had featured role in Mamet's "Things Changes"

Directed the Off-Broadway production of "Boy's Life" at Lincoln Center's Mitzi Newhouse Theater

TV directing debut, the HBO production "Lip Service"; co-produced by Mamet

Moved to L.A.

With Schachter, wrote first of two episodes for the ABC drama "thirtysomething"

Third film teaming with Mamet, "Homicide"

Appeared in the TV adaptation of Mamet's "The Water Engine", directed by Schachter for TNT; shared scene with then-girlfriend Felicity Huffman

Starred in the New York production of David Mamet's "Oleanna"

Reprised stage role in film version of "Oleanna", directed by Mamet; first time as lead of a film

Directed the L.A. production of "Oleanna", starring Kyra Sedgwick

Appeared in the pilot for the NBC medical drama "ER" as chief of staff Dr David Morgenstern; continued playing the role on a recurring basis until 1998; earned 1997 Emmy Award nomination

With Schachter and Jerry Lazarus, co-wrote the thriller "Above Suspicion" (HBO, helmed by Schachter); also acted

Cast as the flat-topped vice principal in "Mr. Holland's Opus"

Had featured role as Confederate Colonel Chandler in the TNT miniseries "Andersonville", helmed by John Frankenheimer

Breakthrough screen role, as the duplicitous car salesman Jerry Lundegaard in the Coen brothers' "Fargo"; earned Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor

With Martin Davidson and Schachter, co-wrote the CBS TV-movie "Every Woman's Dream"

Directed the NY stage production "The Joy of Being Somewhere Different"

Had supporting roles in three major features, "Air Force One", "Wag the Dog" (co-scripted by Mamet) and "Boogie Nights" (written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson)

Co-wrote (with Schacter) and starred in the USA Network drama "The Con"

Co-starred as the repressed sitcom father in "Pleasantville"

Provided the voice of Leo the Lion for the animated children's series "The Lionhearts" (syndicated)

Stepped into Martin Balsam's shoes as private investigator Milton Arbogast in Gus Van Sant's shot-for-shot color remake of Hitchcock's "Psycho"; Julianne Moore and Philip Baker Hall who both acted in "Boogie Nights" were also featured in cast

Appeared as financial advisor to lawyer John Travolta in "A Civil Action"

Played The Shoveler in the ill-fated screen comedy "Mystery Men"

With Schacter, co-wrote the TNT movie "A Slight Case of Murder", based on Donald Westlake's novel "A Travesty"; also starred opposite wife Huffman; earned Emmy nomination

Garnered praise for his work in the indie "Happy, Texas", playing the town's sheriff; premiered at Sundance Film Festival

Had supporting role as former "quiz kid" Donnie Smith in "Magnolia", Paul Thomas Anderson's sprawling look at one day in the lives of residents of the San Fernando Valley

Played recurring role of a ratings experts on the ABC comedy "Sports Night"; wife Felicity Huffman had regular role in the series; received Emmy nomination

Starred in the romantic drama "Panic"; screened at Sundance Film Festival

Acted in London revival of Mamet's "American Buffalo", this time in the lead role of Teach

Portrayed a film director who keeps telling his star (Sarah Jessica Parker) to take off her shirt in Mamet's "State and Main"

Had featured role in "Jurassic Park III"

Played leading role of a man mistaken for being Jewish after he buys a new pair of glasses in the film version of Arthur Miller's novel "Focus"; screened at Toronto Film Festival

Portrayed Bill Porter who despite having cerebral palsy became a prominent Fuller Brush salesman in the TNT biopic "Door to Door"; received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie

Had featured role in the film "Welcome to Collinwood"

Featured in the inspiring feature "Seabiscuit"; received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a supporting role

Co-starred as a down on his luck gambler in "The Cooler"

Starred in the Showtime movie "Stealing Sinatra," based trial transcripts and various public documents on the 1963 kidnapping of Frank Sinatra Jr.; received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie (2004)

Starred in the CBS miniseries opposite his wife Felicity Huffman in Scott Turow's crime thriller "Reversible Errors," also starring Tom Selleck and Monica Potter

Starred as Gigot, a mute who begins a friendship with a recently orphaned nine-year-old girl on TNT's "The Wool Cap," an update of the 1962 Jackie Gleason film "Gigot."; earned Golden Globe, SAG and Emmy nominations for Best Actor in a Miniseries

Portrayed anti-smoking senator Ortolan Finistirre in the satirical comedy "Thank You for Smoking" by first time director Jason Reitman

Played a writer who trades places with his most famous character in the episode "Umney's Last Case," which is part of TNT's Original mini series, "Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From The Stories Of Stephen King"; earned SAG and Emmy nominations for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Movie

Played the hotel manager in Emilio Estevez's directorial debut, "Bobby," an ensemble centered around the night of Robert F. Kennedy's assassination

Cast in the comedy-adventure "Wild Hogs," as one of four middle-aged friends who decide to rev up their routine suburban lives with a freewheeling motorcycle trip