Episode 258

From growing up on the fringes of Hollywood’s inner circle to navigating the highs and lows of an unpredictable acting career, William McNamara brings a lifetime of stories, and hard-earned perspective, to this episode of Media Path.  

The seasoned actor has produced a series called The Trouble with Billy, based on his own life (now available for purchase in pre-release) and Billy joins us to reflect on an unconventional childhood shaped by early exposure to the industry. His mom palled around with Valerie Perrine and a very young Billy found himself on sets and at parties with  Bob Fosse, Ryan O’Neal, and Elliot Gould, experiences that fueled his desire to earn a spot for himself within the entertainment community.  

His determination was challenged when his folks, in an effort to shield him from Manhattan’s temptations, sent him away to boarding school at the age of 11. Billy found his way back to NYC by getting into Columbia, auditing film classes at NYU and immersing himself in archival footage at the Museum of Broadcasting.  

Billy was quickly booking commercials and modeling jobs and when he landed a film role and wanted to drop out of college, his parents threatened to cut him off. He said, “Not a problem. I’ve got $100,000 in the bank.”  Billy talks reverently about the impact of the groundbreaking 1992 TV movie Doing Time on Maple Drive, in which he portrays a gay young man named Matt, in the midst of his agonizing journey towards coming out to his parents. This film continues to change and save lives.  

Behind the scenes on Maple Drive, Billy met the lost and disheveled actor who would play his brother. Unimpressed but willing to lend advice, Billy watched as his co-star, Jim Carrey attacked and mastered the art of dramatic acting.  Set to play Montgomery Clift in a TV movie about Elizabeth Taylor, Billy’s mentor Roddy McDowall  arranged a rare interlude with Ms. Taylor during which she imparted a cherished memory and acting lesson from her dear friend Monty.  

Billy’s experience on Dream a Little Dream with the “two Coreys,” was more of a nightmare, trapped inside the undisciplined Coreys bubble which featured them either coming to work or not, depending upon the hangover.   

Hoping to broaden his range, Billy took on the role of a serial killer which threatened to murder his confidence. Test screenings of Copycat led to weeks of reshoots. Billy was panicking until Roddy brought in his friend Tony for some serial killer coaching. It was Anthony Hopkins!  This is a candid, emotional, and deeply reflective conversation about resilience, reinvention, and a turbulent show biz path that has served to inspire William McNamara’s deeply personal new project, The Trouble with Billy.  

In current recommendations--  Lisa: Twisted Yoga on Apple TV+ 

Weezy: David Archuleta's Memoir, Devout: Losing My Faith To Find Myself