‘Shameless’ Star William H. Macy Says Emmy Rossum ‘Made The Right Choice’ After Reports Of Her Departure

Emmy Rossum recently saddened fans when she announced the fact that she was departing Shameless at the conclusion of the Showtime hit’s ninth season. Rossum starred as the show’s lead, Fiona Gallagher, since the very first episode. Emmy Rossum has defined her career, in part, for her role on the show.

Fiona Gallagher is the daughter of Frank Gallagher, as portrayed by William H. Macy on the series. Recently, according to Entertainment Weekly, Macy spoke up about his co-star’s departure, wishing her well and offering his support to Rossum. He also told reporters for EW that the cast and crew has “been expecting it.”

“I tell you, when you get to season 9 and you think of [whether] to keep going, it’s daunting. It’s hard not to think of: ‘What would my life be post-Shameless?’ And part of it is very frightening and part of it is very exciting. She’s young and I think she’s made the right choice. She’s got another show that she’s an executive producer on, so she’s going right into something and she wants to branch out. Plus, she just got married. I wish her well. I can’t wait to see what she’s going to do next.”

Rossum was later quoted as stating that she believes the series could go on forever, a sentiment William H. Macy seems to agree with. He thinks there are enough well-developed characters that the show could shift focus to many of them and continue on, even without the involvement of many original cast members.

Shameless premiered in 2011 and went on to become one of the biggest successes of Showtime’s history. Losing the show’s main character would often spell the end of a series, but many are confident Shameless is strong enough to remain a ratings hit even in the absence of Emmy Rossum.

As for William H. Macy, he has announced no plans to depart the series.

Season 9 of Shameless is set to begin on September 9, 2018, and will be an extended season. Split into two parts, the show will run for 14 episodes instead of its usual 12.

Other cast-members set to return for Season 9 of Shameless include Jeremy Allen White, Ethan Cutkrosky, Emma Kenney, Cameron Monaghan, Richard Flood, Shanola Hampton, and Steve Howey. Also confirmed to appear in the ninth season of Shameless is former-Friends star Courteney Cox.

The Season 8 finale of Shameless drew approximately 1.73 million viewers for its original airing.