# Bill Macy > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Bill_Macy > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Bill_Macy.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Macy > Source revision: 1352632191 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) American actor (1922–2019) Not to be confused with [William H. Macy](/source/William_H._Macy) or [Bill Marcy](/source/Bill_Marcy). Bill Macy Macy in Maude (1973) Born Wolf Martin Garber (1922-05-18)May 18, 1922 Revere, Massachusetts, U.S. Died October 17, 2019(2019-10-17) (aged 97) Los Angeles, California, U.S. Occupation Actor Years active 1958–2011 Spouse Samantha Harper ​ (m. 1975)​ **Wolf Martin Garber** (May 18, 1922 – October 17, 2019), known professionally as **Bill Macy**, was an American television, film, and stage actor. He was best known for his role of Walter Findlay on the [CBS](/source/CBS) [sitcom](/source/Sitcom) *[Maude](/source/Maude_(TV_series))* (1972–1978). ## Early life Bill Macy was born Wolf Martin Garber on May 18, 1922, in [Revere, Massachusetts](/source/Revere%2C_Massachusetts), the son of Mollie (née Friedopfer; 1889–1986) and Michael Garber (1884–1974), a manufacturer.[1] He was raised Jewish in the [East Flatbush](/source/East_Flatbush%2C_Brooklyn) section of [New York, New York](/source/New_York%2C_New_York). After graduating from [Samuel J. Tilden High School](/source/Samuel_J._Tilden_High_School) he served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1946 with the [594th Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment](/source/594th_Engineer_Boat_and_Shore_Regiment), stationed in the Philippines, New Guinea and Japan.[2] He worked as a cab driver for a decade before being cast as [Walter Matthau](/source/Walter_Matthau)'s understudy in *Once More, with Feeling* on Broadway in 1958. He portrayed a cab driver on the soap opera *[The Edge of Night](/source/The_Edge_of_Night)* in 1966. Macy was an original cast member of the 1969–1972 [Off-Broadway](/source/Off-Broadway) revue *[Oh! Calcutta!](/source/Oh!_Calcutta!)*,[3] performing in the show from 1969 to 1971.[4] He later appeared in the 1972 movie version of the musical.[5] Of appearing fully nude with the rest of the cast in the stage show, he said, "The nudity didn't bother me. I'm from Brooklyn."[3] Macy performed on the [P. D. Q. Bach](/source/P._D._Q._Bach) album *[The Stoned Guest](/source/The_Stoned_Guest_(album))* (1970). ## Television Appreciating Macy's comedic skills off Broadway, [Norman Lear](/source/Norman_Lear) brought him to Hollywood, where he first got a small part as a police officer in *[All in the Family](/source/All_in_the_Family).* He was cast in the role of Walter Findlay, the husband of the title character on the 1970s television sitcom *[Maude](/source/Maude_(TV_series))*, starring [Bea Arthur](/source/Bea_Arthur). The show ran for six seasons from 1972 to 1978.[6] "He was a rare and great comic actor. There was only one Bill Macy." —  [Norman Lear](/source/Norman_Lear) Strangers on the street often called him "Mr. Maude", consoling him for having such a difficult wife. "I used to tell them that people like that really existed," Macy explained.[7] In 1975, Macy and Samantha Harper Macy appeared on the game show *[Tattletales](/source/Tattletales)*.[8] Macy guest-starred in two episodes of *[Highway to Heaven](/source/Highway_to_Heaven)* in 1985 and 1988, playing a different character in each episode. In 1986, he was a guest on the fourth episode of *[L.A. Law](/source/L.A._Law)*, playing an older man whose young wife wants a music career.[9] Macy appeared in the television movie *[Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam](/source/Perry_Mason_(TV_film_series))* (1987) as banker Richard Wilson. He appeared on *[The Facts of Life](/source/The_Facts_of_Life_(TV_series))* in a 1988 episode. He occasionally appeared on *[Seinfeld](/source/Seinfeld)* as one of the residents of the Florida retirement community where [Jerry Seinfeld](/source/Jerry_Seinfeld_(character))'s parents lived. Macy made a guest appearance as a patient on *[Chicago Hope](/source/Chicago_Hope)* and as an aging gambler on the series *[Las Vegas](/source/Las_Vegas_(TV_series))*. Macy's last television role was in a 2010 episode of [Jada Pinkett Smith](/source/Jada_Pinkett_Smith)'s series *[Hawthorne](/source/Hawthorne_(TV_series))*.[3] ## Film Macy appeared as the jury foreman in *[The Producers](/source/The_Producers_(1967_film))* in 1967, with the memorable sole line "We find the defendants incredibly guilty". Other memorable roles include the co-inventor of the "Opti-Grab" in the 1979 [Steve Martin](/source/Steve_Martin) comedy *[The Jerk](/source/The_Jerk)* and as the head television writer in *[My Favourite Year](/source/My_Favourite_Year)* (1982). Other film credits included roles in *[Death at Love House](/source/Death_at_Love_House)* (1976), *[The Late Show](/source/The_Late_Show_(film))* (1977), *[Serial](/source/Serial_(1980_film))* (1980), *[Movers & Shakers](/source/Movers_%26_Shakers_(film))* (1985), *[Bad Medicine](/source/Bad_Medicine_(film))* (1985), *[Tales from the Darkside](/source/Tales_from_the_Darkside)* (1985 - "Lifebomb" episode), *[Sibling Rivalry](/source/Sibling_Rivalry_(film))* (1990), *[The Doctor](/source/The_Doctor_(1991_film))* (1991), *[Me Myself & I](/source/Me_Myself_%26_I_(film))* (1992), *[Analyze This](/source/Analyze_This)* (1999), *[Surviving Christmas](/source/Surviving_Christmas)* (2004), *[The Holiday](/source/The_Holiday)* (2006), and *[Mr. Woodcock](/source/Mr._Woodcock)* (2007).[3][10] ## Personal life Macy met his future wife, Samantha Harper, on the set of *Oh! Calcutta!* in 1969.[6] They married in 1975.[4] Macy died in Los Angeles on October 17, 2019, at the age of 97; no cause was given.[11] ## Filmography/television Year(s) Title Role Notes 1967 The Producers Jury Foreman Uncredited 1972 Oh! Calcutta! Monte / Mute Physician 1972–1978 Maude Walter Findlay Main role; 141 episodes 1977 The Late Show Charlie Hatter 1979 The Jerk Stan Fox 1980 Serial Sam 1982 My Favorite Year Sy Benson 1985 Movers & Shakers Sid Spokane Bad Medicine Dr. Gerald Marx 1986 Murder, She Wrote Myron Kinkaid Episode: "Corned Beef & Carnage" 1988 The Law & Harry McGraw Marvin Gershowitz Episode: "Waiting Game" 1990 Sibling Rivalry Pat 1991 The Doctor Al Cade 1992 Me Myself & I Sydney 1994 Diagnosis: Murder Eugene McReedy Episode: "The Busy Body" 1999 Analyze This Dr. Isaac Sobel 2004 Surviving Christmas Doo-Dah 2006 The Holiday Ernie 2006 Las Vegas Sharkey 2007 Mr. Woodcock Mr. Woodcock's Dad ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Bill Macy Biography (1922-)"](http://www.filmreference.com/film/93/Bill-Macy.html). *filmreference.com*. Retrieved December 25, 2014. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Slotnik, Daniel E. (October 18, 2019). ["Bill Macy, a Memorable Sitcom Foil on 'Maude,' Dies at 97"](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/18/arts/television/bill-macy-dead.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0362-4331](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved April 10, 2022. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:1_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:1_3-3) Hegedus, Eric (October 18, 2019). ["Bill Macy, Bea Arthur's 'Maude' co-star, dead at 97"](https://nypost.com/2019/10/18/bill-macy-bea-arthurs-maude-co-star-dead-at-97/). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. Retrieved October 19, 2019. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:2_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:2_4-1) ["Bill Macy, long-suffering husband on 'Maude,' dies at 97"](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/bill-macy-long-suffering-husband-on-maude-dies-at-97/2019/10/18/e52e3fba-f1c9-11e9-8693-f487e46784aa_story.html). *[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post)*. [Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press). Retrieved October 19, 2019. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["'Maude' co-star, character actor Bill Macy dies at 97"](https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/tv/maude-co-star-character-actor-bill-macy-dies-97-n1068846). *[NBC News](/source/NBC_News)*. Retrieved October 19, 2019. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_6-1) Nichols, Mackenzie (October 18, 2019). ["'Maude' Star Bill Macy Dies at 97"](https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/bill-macy-dead-dies-maude-1203375266/). *[Variety](/source/Variety_(magazine))*. Retrieved October 19, 2019. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-:3_7-0)** Moniuszko, Sara M. (October 18, 2019). ["Bill Macy, who played Bea Arthur's husband in 'Maude,' dead at 97"](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2019/10/18/bill-macy-maude-husband-dead-97/4022258002/). *[USA Today](/source/USA_Today)*. Retrieved October 19, 2019. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["*Tattletales*, Episode #2.119"](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5898338/). *IMDb*. Retrieved August 15, 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["LA Law Season 01 Episode 04: The House of the Rising Flan"](https://web.archive.org/web/20191207140522/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49GqTavWOEQ). Archived from [the original](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49GqTavWOEQ) on December 7, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2019 – via YouTube. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Elber, Lynn (October 18, 2019). ["Actor Bill Macy, co-starred on 'Maude,' dies at 97"](https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment-and-culture/2019/10/18/20921583/bill-macy-maude-dies-at-97). *[Chicago Sun-Times](/source/Chicago_Sun-Times)*. Associated Press. Retrieved October 19, 2019. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Barnes, Mike (October 18, 2019). ["Bill Macy, Bea Arthur's Husband on 'Maude,' Dies at 97"](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bill-macy-dead-maude-husband-922206). *[The Hollywood Reporter](/source/The_Hollywood_Reporter)*. Retrieved December 18, 2019. ## External links - [Bill Macy](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0534409/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) - [Bill Macy](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/88477) at the [Internet Broadway Database](/source/Internet_Broadway_Database) - [Bill Macy](https://www.spectra.theater/explore/artist/079e1317-b8dc-4673-9fb2-999d305d7c13) at the [Internet Off-Broadway Database](/source/Internet_Off-Broadway_Database) - [Bill Macy](https://www.discogs.com/artist/Bill+Macy) discography at [Discogs](/source/Discogs) Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF WorldCat National United States France BnF data Spain Artists MusicBrainz Other SNAC Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bill Macy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Macy) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Macy?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.