What's The Deal With William H. Macy's Hilariously Flubbed Line In Boogie Nights?

Paul Thomas Anderson's 1997 Oscar darling "Boogie Nights" took place from 1977 through 1984, when the fun-loving, sexed-up cocaine-and-porn party of the 1970s rapidly withered into the selfish, burned-out, uptight, moralistic Reagan era. Anderson showed a great deal of respect for the hard work and even artistry that went into shooting adult featured on 35mm film, but he was careful to show that there were always cracks in the system, little fissures where misery and angst were leaking in. 

The central symbol of the encroaching misery of "Boogie Nights" came in the form of "Little Bill" Thompson (William H. Macy), the assistant director to celebrated porn director Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds). Little Bill was always present at Horner's wild porn parties, where most everyone was having a wonderful time. He was unhappy, however, because his wife (Nina Hartley, a real adult film star) consistently had sex with younger men, often openly in front of dozens of others. Whenever Little Bill confronted his wife, mid-coitus, she would merely ask that she be left alone to continue her exhibitionism.

During one part, when Little Bill saw his wife was showing off, he walked away, distraught. He was approached by cameraman Kurt (Ricky Jay) about an unrelated matter, and Little John was unable to discuss it. "My f***ing wife," he says, "has an a** in her c*** in the driveway, Kurt. Alright? I'm sorry that my thoughts are not on the photography of the film we're shooting tomorrow."

The transposition of "a**" and "c***," it seems, wasn't in Anderson's script. It was a genuine flub from Macy. In 2022, Macy was interviewed by Vulture, and the actor revealed that he flubbed the line multiple times, each time without noticing. Luckily, Anderson liked it, feeling it fit the character. It made its way into the final cut of "Boogie Nights."

Macy does indeed recall the flub, and that he experienced a strange mental hiccup that caused him to make it over and over. He reflected on working with the late, great celebrity magician Ricky Jay, and how his strange inversion of a certain sexual maneuver kept on happening. Macy said: 

"We did a take and I said to Ricky Jay — rest in peace — 'Do you mind? I'm a little preoccupied now, my wife has an a** in her c***.' After the take, Paul said, 'You said, a** in her c***. And I said, 'I did? I'm so sorry.' Take two, I think I said, 'a c*** in her a**.' Take three, he said, 'You said, a** in her c*** again.' I said, 'No, I didn't.' He said, 'You did.' I said, 'I'm sure I didn't, Paul.'" 

Macy is, of course, completely professional, and wanted to get the scene right. It sounds like there was at least one take where Macy nailed the line perfectly, and that he was finally satisfied with his performance; many actors get embarrassed when they flub a line, as sticking to the script is key.  

Anderson, however, understood that Little Bill would have been too wrapped up in his own head at that moment to speak correctly. Macy's flub added an organic sense of rage to the scene, and Anderson left it in. Also consider that Little Bill works in the porn industry, where words like a** and c*** are thrown about willy-nilly (so to speak), and he would have no compunction about using them casually and incidentally. As such, Little Bill could mix them up in his brain without noticing. It was wholly appropriate.

Macy wasn't one to analyze. He just wanted to get the line right. It wasn't until he looked at the scene from a director's point of view that he understood. Macy continued: 

"The one [Anderson] liked was the word-burger where I got it wrong. That tells you what kind of director Paul is because I don't know what that means, that Little Bill confused those lines, but Paul obviously saw it. And I get it, there was truth in it, it spoke to Little Bill's state of mind at the time. Everybody walks up to me and says, 'Listen, in the scene in the driveway ...' I say, 'No, I said it. I don't know why I said it. Paul decided to keep it in.'" 

Macy is a bold, strong-willed, and talented actor, capable of playing just about any kind of part; he has been nominated for 15 Emmys, winning two. His more notable roles, however, have been sad-sacks and pathetic figures. The year before "Boogie Nights," he played the callow husband Jerry in "Fargo," and received a lot of attention in 2004 for his starring role in "The Cooler." It seems "self pity" is a note Macy handles with aplomb. His bungling of sex words in "Boogie Nights" merely enhanced his performance. One might even think that Anderson scripted it that way, and Macy merely delivered his incorrect line with confidence and skill. 

Macy's most recent role was playing a human doctor in "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes." He was excellent in that too.