Will McAvoy

Grew up… in Nebraska with an abusive, alcoholic father. Will understands what it means to stand up for both himself and his loved ones. At a young age, Will cracked a bottle across his dad’s face to protect his sisters and mother from one of the man’s drunken tirades. But this is not a past that Will is eager to discuss.

Living… in the media capital of the world, New York City. Will has a penthouse apartment overlooking the Manhattan skyline, but he spends most of his time in the newsroom with his team.

Profession… anchor and managing editor of News Night on ACN television network. Will was formerly a prosecutor at the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office and a speechwriter for George H.W. Bush. He describes his job as “a mission to civilize.”

Interests… politics. Almost everything that Will does both professionally and personally is related to his belief that pundits and populists have poisoned American political discourse. In his opinion, “Snark is the idiot’s version of wit, and we’re being polluted by it.”

Relationship Status… single. Will was in love once, but the relationship ended when his then-girlfriend, MacKenzie McHale, cheated on him with an old boyfriend. Now, to everyone’s surprise, Mac is back as his show’s executive producer. Will claims that he’ll never forgive her, but his staff finds that hard to believe. Will and Mac have a chemistry that will never dissipate.

Challenge… changing the nature of American cable news. Will does not believe in argument for argument’s sake. He believes that the perilous state of American politics, and the country as a whole, has to do with a reign of stupidity on most news channels. “First step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one,” he tells a group of Northwestern students. “America is not the greatest country in the world anymore.”

Personality… idealistic, driven, and fiercely intelligent. Will is known for taking no prisoners on News Night. He’s less of an attack dog than he is an extreme skeptic; he’s not afraid to throw tough questions at the left or the right.