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EXCLUSIVE – Some could name John O’Leary a miracle, however “Soul on Hearth” actor William H. Macy mentioned the phrase downplays the younger man’s unimaginable story of survival.
When O’Leary was 9 years previous, his whole physique was burned in an unintentional home fireplace that began whereas he was in his storage enjoying with matches and gasoline. He wasn’t anticipated to outlive, however after months of grueling restoration — and with the assistance of household, compassionate medical workers and a well-known buddy — he not solely survived, however thrived.
The native celeb who befriended him was the late Jack Buck, the legendary St. Louis Cardinals announcer who known as video games for 47 years. Buck heard about O’Leary’s story one evening at dinner and determined to go to him within the hospital – an encounter that sparked a life-changing friendship.
Macy performs Buck within the new movie about O’Leary’s story, “Soul on Hearth,” from AFFIRM Movies and director Sean McNamara. He was candid when requested if he believed O’Leary’s survival was a miracle.
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Joel Courtney, William H. Macy, James McCracken, John O’Leary, Stephanie Szostak, Sean McNamara and John Corbett attend the premiere of Sony Image’s AFFIRM Movies’ “Soul on Hearth” on October 2, 2025, in St Louis, Missouri. (Photograph by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Photos for SOUL ON FIRE premiere)
“No, I don’t want miracles,” Macy advised Fox Information Digital after a number of moments of contemplation. “I am threading the needle right here. I believe the world is miraculous in and of itself. I do not want something supernatural. I believe the world is miraculous, the best way it really works. And I believe human beings are miraculous generally. I imply… That boy wasn’t speculated to reside. He was burned on over 95% of his physique. He should not have survived the evening.”
“When Jack Buck heard about this boy at that dinner and went over and whispered in his ear, he was in a medically induced coma. And he whispered in his ear in his acquainted voice that this boy knew someplace in his mind, ‘You are going to reside.’
“There is a quote, and I believed it was in Ecclesiastes, and I am unable to discover it. However the definition of religion that I actually preferred is that which is coming, all of the adversities which might be coming your manner, you have already got what you could outmaneuver them, to beat them.
Macy instructed that the phrase “miracle” is used a bit “cheaply” as of late as a result of it minimizes the efforts of O’Leary’s caregivers. In a single particular scene from “Soul on Hearth”, one of many hospital workers is answerable for saving O’Leary’s life by conserving his hospital room clear and stopping the chance of infections on O’Leary’s susceptible pores and skin.
“And… So I believe what the film says is absolutely fantastic, if I’ll,” Macy mentioned. “That this child had the desire to outlive this factor. I believe it was a stroke of genius that they included, and it is a true story, that the hero of this factor was the man, the orderly, who saved the room clear, who saved it spotless. As a result of, as they are saying within the film, ‘That is what is going to kill you.’ Whenever you burn greater than 90% of your physique, you are only a horrible, life-ending an infection ready to occur. So he is the hero and I, I do not wish to use that phrase – a miracle – as a result of I believe we use it somewhat cheaply as of late.”
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William H. Macy and John O’Leary attend the premiere of Sony Footage’ AFFIRM Movies’ “Soul on Hearth” on October 2, 2025, in St. Louis. (Photograph by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Photos for SOUL ON FIRE premiere)
O’Leary now offers motivational speeches throughout the nation, hoping to uplift and encourage along with his unbelievable story. Macy known as him one of the vital “extraordinary” individuals he’s ever met.
“Properly, he’s actually, if not essentially the most extraordinary man I’ve ever met, he’s certainly one of them,” Macy mentioned. “What you see is what you get. He is real. He got here out of that entire expertise with this lust for all times, and he loves life, and he loves his life. And he enjoys every single day… The man all the time appears to be having enjoyable, and he lives with plenty of gratitude. And he is all the time discovering the nice issues in his day, and he is as beneficiant to everybody as I’ve ever seen.”
“I imply, what it boiled all the way down to for me was that we have been speaking about promoting,” the actor continued. “’How are we going to promote this factor?’ And John spoke very early and mentioned, ‘Hey, hey, this film is not about me. This movie is in regards to the neighborhood that stepped up and, with the buildup of will, love and expertise, received this boy by it. And that is what the film is about.’”
Macy additionally remembers assembly Joe Buck, who adopted his father into sports activities broadcasting. Joe advised Macy that though Jack Buck was typically away at dwelling, he quietly helped numerous individuals behind the scenes.
“He advised me, lengthy story brief, his dad wasn’t heat and fuzzy at dwelling,” Macy mentioned. “He was a considerably distant father. And he knew that he was cherished by his father and he knew that his father was very pleased with him. However he labored very onerous. He was away from dwelling loads, he was absent loads and when he was there, there was… I did not ask if he hugged, if he was hugged as a baby, however I stuffed in that hole myself – that he wasn’t demonstrative. And since this film went into manufacturing, individuals have been popping out of the woodwork to inform Jack Braggart tales.”
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Macy performs the late Jack Buck, who was a commentator for the St. Louis Cardinals for 47 years. (Photographs by Ali Overstreet/MLB through Getty Photos)
“And he used his bully pulpit,” Macy continued. “He used his assets to quietly present up in plenty of totally different locations and anonymously assist individuals. The tales are numerous. And I discover that endlessly fascinating. And I had this in thoughts once I was placing this all collectively, that it was simpler for Jack to point out like to virtually whole strangers than to his good pals. And I’ve met individuals like that. And perhaps there’s somewhat of that in me.”
Requested why audiences appear to be flocking to faith-based movies as of late, Macy mentioned it is as a result of that is what individuals need, earlier than reflecting on how Hollywood tradition has modified through the years.
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“I believe faith-based movies inform the tales they wish to hear,” he mentioned. “, there’s been an enormous shift in Hollywood, and I am very proud to be a part of the Hollywood scene, to be an actor and to be in showbiz. It was about 10 or 15 years in the past that Hollywood awakened someday and mentioned, ‘Our films do not seem like America and the individuals who make them do not seem like America. And if we would like this trade to proceed to develop, we now have to repair that, and so they did. It occurred in a short time. I’ve by no means seen an trade change so rapidly.”
“Soul on Hearth” is now in theaters.
Fox Information’ Kristine Parks contributed to this report.
Cortney O’Brien is an editor at Fox Information. Twitter: @obrienc2
