After 11 epic and incredibly shameful seasons, Shameless will go down as one of the most entertaining shows in television history. The dramedy follows the chaotic and troubled Gallagher family as they try to make ends meet on the South Side of Chicago. The patriarch of the family, Frank, is an alcoholic who spends most of his time drinking at the local pub. His kids, meanwhile, are left to fend for themselves and navigate life without the guidance of a parent who truly cares for them. Watching them use their street smarts to make ends meet is nothing if not entertaining, and at the end of the day, many of their struggles are ones we can all relate to.
Shameless aired from 2011 to 2021 and is now officially over, but we’ll never stop loving it. Since we miss each and every member of the Gallagher clan, we thought we’d take a look at what they’re all up to today.
Emmy Rossum
Emmy Rossum didn’t stay with Shameless until it finished in 2021. She parted ways with the show after season nine, making a shocking announcement about her decision to leave the series in Aug. 2018. As she wrote on Facebook, “I know you will continue on without me, for now. There is much more Gallagher story to be told. I will always be waiting for my family. Try not to think of me as gone, just think of me as moving down the block.”
These days, Rossum has gotten busy in the world of directing, making major moves behind the scenes. She directed episodes of Animal Kingdom and Modern Love and also starred in a biopic called Angelyne about the billboard model everyone was once so curious about. In 2017, she tied the knot with screenwriter Sam Esmail, and in 2021 they welcomed their daughter into the world.
William H. Macy
William H. Macy played the role of Frank Gallagher on Shameless. Before Shameless came to an end, he appeared in a handful of major movies including Blood Father, Room, Cake, and Sessions. Since 1997, he’s been married to Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman. They share two daughters named Georgia and Sophia and in 2019, they unfortunately made headlines for being involved in the college admissions scandal heard ‘round the world. While Huffman had to serve time for her involvement in the scandal, Macy had no charges filed against him.
Macy has a recurring role in the highly-anticipated series The Dropout, which chronicles the case of Elizabeth Holmes, also known as the founder of Theranos ⏤ the company defrauded investors and patients and was formally dissolved in 2018. The true crime series will surely be riveting, and we are anxiously waiting Macy’s small-screen return.
Jeremy Allen White
Jeremy Allen White played Philip Gallagher, aka “Lip,” on Shameless. His character was the second-oldest child in the family, and along with being one of the main stars of the show, he has also starred in Homecoming, Law & Order, and The Bear. He married actress Addison Timlin in 2019. Together they have two daughters named Ezer and Wild. Before Shameless ended, White had nothing but positive things to say about the show. As he told Film Inquiry, “In the case of Shameless, it’s never ending. Lip’s always growing, as I’m growing. His decision making is always changing. He becomes a little better of a person, then a little bit worse. It’s more like life, because it’s been so, so long.”
Cameron Monaghan
Cameron Monaghan played Ian Gallagher on Shameless. Along with being a pivotal character, Monaghan has also starred in shows such as Mercy Street, Gotham, and NCIS. Some of his movies include Mall, The Giver, Vampire Academy, and The Year of Spectacular Men. In an interview with Nerds of Color, Monaghan opened up about the end of this incredible show:
“Things are difficult in general, but I feel like, especially with a show like Shameless, which is a show about a slice of life and sort of how existence doesn’t really fall into a perfect narrative; it tends to be messy and kind of just continue in spite of itself, and it’s a stream of those little victories and these constant mistakes. So you can’t really cap off of a pure ending to a story like that,” the actor said.
It’s true that watching Shameless come to an end was difficult. It’s certainly relatable to anyone who has grown up in a low-income neighborhood or dealt with family dynamics that are less than perfect.
Emma Kenney
Emma Kenney played the role of Debbie Gallagher, the younger Gallagher daughter in the family. From 2018 to 2021, she also starred in the Roseanne reboot The Conners. These days, Kenney has over 2 million followers on Instagram and loves to post gorgeous pictures from photoshoots and vacations. From an outsider’s perspective, it looks like she’s living the best life ever.
From Kenny’s perspective, she didn’t have the greatest experience working with Rossum on Shameless for the first nine seasons. According to E-News, she described the on-set relationship saying, “I was obviously a lot younger. There were times when she would try to be a good influence and then there were times where she would be blatantly giving me bad… not the best advice.” Kenney also spoke about a sense of competition she felt on set with Rossum, saying, “I don’t know if it was other people on set creating that or if it was her creating that, but I know I wasn’t creating it.” It doesn’t seem like the two ladies of Shameless are on the best of terms these days, even though they spent so many years playing sisters on camera.
Ethan Cutkosky
Ethan Cutkosky played the role of Carl Gallagher on Shameless. He is starring in an upcoming movie called Going Places alongside Spence Moore II and Miranda Rae Mayo, and on the musical front, he released a single called “Erase Me” in 2021.
In terms of social media, Cutkosky is killing it. He has over 3.3 million followers on TikTok and is hanging out with others who have been dubbed social media royalty, including Tana Mongeau. The 22-year-old also has 2.9 million followers on Instagram, where he posts a ton of creative and artistic content. His fashion sense is on point these days and his vibe is totally artsy.
Christian Isaiah
Christian Isaiah played Liam Gallagher, the youngest member of his chaotic household. Fans of the show enjoyed watching as Liam just did his thing, seemingly unperturbed that he was the sole African-American child in an otherwise Caucasian family.
One of the movies he starred in before Shameless came to an end was 21 Bridges in 2019, in which he played the younger version of Chadwick Boseman’s character. Isaiah is active on Instagram with over 350,000 followers and, in addition to being an actor, is also an avid skateboarder.
Steve Howey
Steve Howey played the role of Kevin Ball on Shameless. Before the show was over, Howey starred in a handful of other TV shows including Workaholics, Dead to Me, Sons of Anarchy, and New Girl. In 2012, in solidarity with the LGBTQ community, Howey “came out” on social media. He is not actually homosexual, but said, “So what? What if I was?” In 2021, his marriage to Sarah Shahi came to an end. They’d been married since 2009 and currently share three children together: Violet Moon, Knox Blue, and William Wolf Howey.
Shanola Hampton
Shanola Hampton played Veronica Fisher on Shameless. She was Fiona‘s best friend on the show and a neighbor to the Gallagher family. Before Shameless ended, she landed roles in shows such as Stalker and Criminal Minds. A unique beauty, Hampton also provides the likeness for Rochelle in the video game Left 4 Dead 2. She and husband Daren Dukes have been married since 2000 and share two kids together, Cai and Daren.
Noel Fisher
Noel Fisher played Mickey Milkovich, Ian’s boyfriend and later, husband, toward the end of the series. Since Shameless, Fisher has voiced Klarion the witch boy for Cartoon Network’s Justice League Action, starred in Fear the Walking Dead, and had a recurring role on the series Castle Rock, in addition to multiple film and TV roles. He married his wife Layla Alizada in 2017.
Kate Miner
Tammy Tamietti was played by Kate Miner in the last three seasons of Shameless. Before landing the role of Tammy, Miner made a name for herself as a model. Some of her other TV credits include Two & a Half Men, Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy, Necessary Roughness, and Summerland. A musician, Miner has even had one of her original songs on the soundtrack for the film Luce.
Justin Chatwin
Justin Chatwin played Fiona‘s problematic on-and-off boyfriend, Jimmy Lishman, on Shameless. He left the show in 2015 way before it officially ended in 2021. Since Shameless, Chatwin has had multiple film and TV credits, including No Stranger Than Love, One Night, and recurring roles on Orphan Black and Doctor Who. The critics’ darling, Chatwin will star in the documentary Rider Diaries, chronicling his and his friends’ global motorcycle adventure. After watching the trailer, we can’t wait to see it!
Laura Slade Wiggins played the role of Karen Jackson from 2011-2013. The now-33-year-old star has over 51,800 followers on Instagram, where she has described herself as an “actress, singer, and songwriter.” Since starring in Shameless, Wiggins has added several more entries to her acting résumé, including series CSI: Crime Investigation and Chicago PD, as well as 20th Century Women and Rings. Based on her Instagram photos, she is also enjoying life as a mom and has been married to Kyle Weishaar since 2018.
Published: Mar 1, 2022 09:22 pm