William H. Macy asks "How much do I get paid?" and "Do I have to get wet?" before accepting roles.

The actor has enjoyed a long and varied career. His latest character features in the US television show Shameless. He plays Frank Gallagher, who is constantly dreaming up schemes to fund his drinking habit and look after his large family.

William loves working on the comedy and admits his priorities have changed since he first started out as an actor.

"I used to think, How does this speak to the human condition? What is the heart of this film?'" he told New York Daily News. "Now I think, How much do I get paid and do I have to get wet?'"

William has appeared in a host of dramas and comedies on both the small and big screen.

Although he likes to challenge himself with a serious role, he prefers filming fun scenes.

"I gravitate towards comedy. In this world, I want to laugh, I want to laugh a lot. It feels good to me to laugh as much as you can," he explained. "So I gravitate towards comedy, and again, this outrageous behaviour, these unlikely, truthfully written arching plots, it's a great ride."

William is proud to be involved with such a successful show. He believes television is starting to take over from cinema by producing quality entertainment.

"I think the best stuff is being done on television," he added. "Independent film production is way down. That world is difficult, and a lot of talent has moved into television. And there's lots of outlets; lots of room for lots of people to do lots of things. It's a golden age of television."