When he was just a little boy, he used to go to the movie theaters, where he paid 7 cents, being fascinated by character actors, which led to MacLeod playing character parts in various shows.
While he was playing football at Pleasantville High School, he received word from his family, about his father, who had died in 1945, from cancer. After his father's death, his quit the football team, and went back to acting.