A lot of people miss Shameless even though it ended a year ago on Showtime. Despite the show’s many seasons of crass humor, unhealthy amounts of alcohol consumption and general anarchy, Emmy Rossum’s Fiona Gallagher remains a fan favorite. Fiona’s nurturing presence as a mother figure for the dysfunctional Gallagher family helped soften the show’s otherwise harsh depiction of life on the South Side of Chicago. Fiona was a main character throughout the show, along with the clan’s patriarch, Frank (William H. Macy). Unfortunately for fans, Rossum’s character, who was a fan favorite, was written out of the show at the end of Season 9.
How Was Fiona Written Off?
Fiona’s relationship was next to be severed after she had already lost all of her hard-earned money and possessions. When Fiona follows her boyfriend’s phone to an unidentified residence, she discovers a shocking sight: his secret wife and child. Her surprise is understandable. Fiona can’t take it any longer at this point. She gets drunk and angry and in her haste to get away she crashes her car. Her entire idealized existence crumbled to pieces.
Having hit bottom, Fiona now has nowhere to go but up. Fiona gets sober and starts going to AA meetings with the help of her brother Lip, who is also in recovery. A nod to her humble beginnings, she finds work at a nearby 7-Eleven. Just as Fiona is getting comfortable in her new position, an old investment partner of hers drops by the office to remind her that she still lives a life of luxury. He breaks the news to her that the real estate investor who had previously backed out of the deal has decided to buy the entire property and will pay Fiona her payout of $100,000.
”I was interested in telling this kind of kaleidoscopic narrative of all the different stories that are out there about her,” @emmyrossum tells @lamag of her new Angelyne project https://t.co/iOKC36a6qp
— Los Angeles Magazine (@LAmag) May 25, 2022
Fiona’s life was perfect at the start of Season 8. The Gallagher children (except Liam, the youngest) are now adults, so their “pseudo-matriarch” can devote some time to her interests. She finds long-term employment as the proprietor of Patsy’s Pies, begins a new relationship and begins to make headway in the property market. She’s so successful that she’s able to sell the South Side house she shared with the Gallagher family and buy an apartment building in a more affluent neighborhood. Fiona has made some progress toward breaking the cycle of poverty, but just as things are looking up, everything falls apart.
Fiona’s latest investment deal falls through because her buyer reneges and she can’t afford the property without his help. The money she has already put in is lost as well. Fiona finds herself back at square one financially and decides to foreclose on her apartment building and move back in with her parents. After being thrown back into her old life, Fiona begins drinking heavily, taking after her abusive father. She can’t keep her job at Patsy’s, she never pays her share of the bills and she’s always picking fights. She even leads law enforcement on a chase. That’s incredibly frank of her.
Fiona gains a new perspective on life and decides it’s time to leave the South Side behind. Fiona says a tearful farewell to everyone she loves, including Frank and leaves after leaving half of her fortune to the children she raised.
Why Did Fiona Leave Shameless?
Reports surfaced about cast members of Shameless having disagreements over contracts just before filming began on season eight. Although both Rossum and William H. Macy were guaranteed equal billing, Rossum said he made a lot less money. In an interview with Variety, Rossum reportedly demanded not only equal pay to Macy but also a salary increase to make up for years of unjust pay. Playing Fiona Gallagher has been one of the great privileges of my life,” Rossum said in a tweet that has since been deleted. I’m thrilled to keep working with the cast and crew of Shameless. She has confirmed her participation in Season 8 of Shameless by saying, “Back to work in May!”
However, the apparent resolution didn’t last long. Rossum announced in 2018 that she was leaving the show after appearing in Seasons 8 and 9. Rossum explained her departure from the show on Facebook, writing that it gave her the chance to focus on other projects. Playing Fiona has been an incredible privilege. She went on to say, “Few characters, male or female, are as multifaceted and engaging.” She’s a lioness mom—f,erocious, human and sexually independent. She has been hurt and is weak but she will not give up.
#Angelyne star @EmmyRossum stopped by THR's exclusive photo booth at @ATXFestival https://t.co/3HdOowK12X pic.twitter.com/QTBniVWsrF
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) June 4, 2022
Despite living through a recession, she remains upbeat. A resourceful person, she is. She is dependable. She has a lot of guts. As soon as I read the pilot script, I knew it was something special. Before saying her final goodbyes to the Shameless cast and crew, Rossum wrote a heartfelt post about the profound memories she made on the set. The tale of the Gallaghers is far from over. No matter what, my loyalties will always lie with my loved ones. Remember that I’m just relocating a few doors down instead of considering myself permanently gone.
We have talked about some famous celebrity’s who leave the show, you should definitely check: Jennifer Esposito , Oliver Peck and Young Bucks.
Where is Emmy Rossum Now?
Since leaving Shameless, Rossum has focused on her personal life and career. Rossum’s only film role since leaving was Cold Pursuit, with Liam Neeson. Rossum appeared in the final season of Sam Esmail’s Mr. Robot. Rossum has also directed episodes of TNT’s Animal Kingdom and Amazon Prime’s Modern Love. Rossum and Esmail welcomed a daughter in 2021.
Rossum continues to act and direct. She directed “I Am A Storm” (season 7, episode 4) and “Frank’s Northern Shuttle Express” (Season 8, Episode 8). She’s taken a longer-term role this year after sporadic directing jobs on shows. Rossum stars and executive produces the mini-series, Angelyne. Angelyne is a blonde bombshell surrounded by fame and admiration, but she’s secretive and elusive. The show received high praise from critics and audiences, proving Rossum’s efforts to advance her career since Shameless are paying off.
Rossum will star in AppleTV+’s The Crowded Room. This series sounds like a chance to see her as the rough-around-the-edges character she’s known for. Her role as Candy Sullivan will explore mental health and social struggles, we know. These topics were heavily explored in Shameless, so Rossum’s performance should be emotionally raw. Rossum joins Tom Holland, Amanda Seyfried and Jason Isaacs in The Crowded Room. Unknown release date.
Rossum’s reason for leaving mirrors her character’s. Fans and publications looking for salacious stories or angry arguments have found none. Rossum has repeatedly called the Shameless cast her “family.” Rossum embodies loyalty and growth, like Fiona. Rossum’s future is as unknown and exciting as Fiona’s.