Shameless is on the verge of witnessing the end of an era. Emmy Rossum is saying goodbye to the Showtime series, and she is taking Fiona Gallagher with her. Opening up about how she feels about leaving Shameless, Rossum shared:
I was 23 when the show started and now I’m not and it’s been pretty remarkable the confidence that it’s given me, that [showrunner] John Wells has given me, encouraging me to write and direct, giving me the chance to direct on the show, mentoring me as a writer. And it really does feel like we’ve spent nine wonderful years together, and it also feels like I’m excited to experience what else is out there, what other characters will excite me in the way that Fiona did for so long, and to see what else I can tackle, what is scary and exciting and wonderful. I always look forward to things that I’m not sure if I can pull off, things that intimidate me when I look at them on a page. I like that journey of discovery and I never ever want to become complacent in my work. So yeah, it does feel like I’ve really grown up, and also she has in watching the incredible rise and fall and rise again and fall again.
Now 32-years-old, Emmy Rossum is ready to chart a new course nearly ten years after starting on the dramatic comedy. Rossum shared her feelings in an interview with EW and based on what she is saying, her Shameless character, will be a tough act to follow.
The soon-to-be former Shameless star has told a myriad of stories in Fiona’s skin, and now it is time to disembark. Emmy Rossum shared what led to her decision. There are no hard feelings. Explaining why she felt Season 9 was the right one to bid farewell to the show, Rossum said:
I had felt that coming for a while — 110 hours of a character is a long time and it’s one that’s been a really fascinating journey. I’ve never had the opportunity to tell a story in such long-form before, and it can become quite fascinating, because you just get to investigate so many different aspects of a person and experience their growth over a long period of time. And it was also, not only experiencing that as a character but myself as well.
As Emmy Rossum points out, she did not just play Fiona for nine seasons and nearly ten years. Rossum spent 110 hours as the character, which is something she touched on in her exit announcement. She spent even more as Fiona when you count off-screen discussions about the role and other preparations.
Having explored so much, it is understandable that Emmy Rossum chose now to pursue her next projects as an actress and director. Fans have been preparing for her exit for a while now. Rossum initially announced her plans to leave the dramedy towards the end of August 2018.
Despite losing one of its lead characters, Shameless is planning to forge ahead. The series is moving forward with a tenth season. How they manage without her and to what extent fans will be willing to embrace a Fiona-less Shameless, will take time to find out. It is going to be quite an undertaking, considering her pivotal connection to the show.
Shameless has been setting up for her exit and the time is almost here for her to leave. It is a huge testimony to her time on the series that Emmy Rossum seems satisfied with her experience. That is not always the case.
Now that Emmy Rossum has completed her time on Shameless, she has already begun taking on other projects. Those who tune in to Amazon’s upcoming series Modern Love will get to watch an episode she directed.
Elsewhere, her husband, Homecoming executive producer Sam Esmail, has teased his openness to having her on the Amazon series. Time will tell if she ends up surfacing there.
As for Shameless, Fiona is about to leave home. Fans have two more episodes to savor before her seemingly hopeful farewell. Now the question is whether fans approve of her ending. A positive sign they will is that Emmy Rossum said she "liked the way" Shameless ended Fiona's story in her interview.
Find out if you agree! Shameless airs new episodes on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime. The series is among many airing fresh content during the midseason.
