The 68-year-old actor said he lost it during the table read, prompting everyone in the room to follow suit in tears.
William H. Macy says he just couldn't keep it together at co-star Emmy Rossum's last table read for Shameless.
Macy spoke to ET's Keltie Knight at The 2018 Rape Foundation Annual Brunch in Beverly Hills on Sunday, benefiting The Rape Treatment Center and Stuart House at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center. Macy pretended to weep when asked about the impending departure of Rossum, but said it was real waterworks during her last table read for the show.
"I'm the one that blew it. We did a table read for her last episode, I cried right in the middle of the table read in front of everyone," Macy told ET. "It was so bad and my voice turned into some weird voice I'd never heard as I was trying to muscle through it and then everybody else started crying, so at least I didn't look like a complete jerk."
In August, Rossum announced in an emotional letter that she would be leaving the acclaimed Showtime series after the current season. Macy said Sunday that he's not worried about her future after the show.
"Yeah, I wish her well. I know she's going to thrive," he told ET. "She'll be missed and it's a brand new day. I'm excited about change, we'll see what happens."
As for the brunch, Macy said it was important for men to support rape victims by supporting those who speak up.
"It's an important time today, literally, and I was saying before, I think it's difficult for some men to understand how difficult it is to speak up," he said. "So, when people have the courage to speak up, let's all gather round because we need more, not less."
For a look at Season 9 of Shameless, watch the video below.
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