William H. Macy called daughter's college app process 'stressful' in January 2019 interview

Just weeks before Felicity Huffman would be charged with alleged involvement in a fraudulent college admissions scheme, her husband, William H. Macy, called their daughter's application process "so stressful" in a January 2019 interview with Parade.

"We're right now in the thick of college application time, which is so stressful," the "Shameless" actor said. "I am voting that once she gets accepted, she maybe takes a year off. God doesn't let you be 18 twice."

The couple's older daughter, Sofia, is currently a high school senior. Huffman is accused in court documents of paying an SAT insider to proctor her daughter's exam and secretly fix her incorrect answers. As a result, the 18-year-old scored 400 points above her practice test score.

Macy is not charged with a crime, but he is quoted in a taped conversation with Huffman and the person organizing the scheme. "Are we all okay with the financial side and the actual operational side of it?" the couple is asked.

"Cool," Macy responded in the October 2018 call.

In his Parade interview months later, Macy said he wanted his daughter to defer her admission because she "looks young" for her age, making her a good candidate for teenage acting roles.

"But it's just my opinion, and we'll see what she wants to do, what Felicity thinks and how the chips fall," he said.

Unsealed court documents shed light on Huffman's communications with William Singer, who orchestrated behind-the-scenes bribes to various people involved in the college admissions process. A transcript of a call, which was recorded consensually, confirms that Huffman was explicitly aware of the details involved.

"I also just wanted to let you know that the guy who took the test for [your older daughter] ... just had a baby," Huffman is told. "So I need to give him at least three weeks' notice if you ... want us to take the test for [your younger daughter] in December."

Huffman responded that she wouldn't know whether she required the service until her younger daughter took a practice SAT.

In another conversation, Huffman expressed concern that her daughter's high school planned to provide its own proctor for the SAT: "Ruh roh!" she wrote.

"Fuller House" actress Lori Loughlin is also among the dozens of people named in court documents. Both she and Huffman are charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

In one call, which was conducted at the direction of federal agents, Loughlin agrees to lie to the IRS if they call to inquire about past payments. "So we just have to say we made a donation to your foundaton and that's it, end of story?" Loughlin asked.

"That is correct," she was told in response.