There’s a long list of shows we simply adore, and Shameless ranks high up on it. We became acquainted with the highly exciting characters played by an ensemble cast in 2011, and they are the reason why the show keeps us glued to our screens.
The eleventh season of the show, set to premiere in fall 2020, will bring the show to an end. As we wait for the finale, let’s look back at some of our favorite characters from the show and dig a little bit into the lives of the actors who portray them off the screen.
Monica Gallagher Played By Chloe Webb
Shameless revolves around the Gallaghers, a large family of eight. Monica Jean Gallagher is the mother of the six Gallagher children, and Frank Gallagher’s ex-wife. Monica’s bipolar disorder makes her unstable, and she continually abandons her children in favor of drugs.
Her older children distrust and resent her, but Monica regularly coaxes her youngest children to spend some time with her. Monica then gets in a relationship with a woman called Roberta, and they attempt to take the youngest Gallagher Liam with them. They find out that Frank is the biological father of all their children, even Liam, who is part African-American, except for Ian.
Chloe Webb In Real Life
Chloe Webb made a name for herself back in the ’80s first on Broadway. She then transitioned to screen acting with credits in films like Sid and Nancy, Heart Condition, and Twins. Webb appeared in the ABC drama China Beach as Laurette Barber and earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for the role.
After her recurring role in Shameless, Webb seemed to have taken a break from acting from 2016 to 2019. Webb bounced back with a guest role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She has been married to John Thomas Gelder since 1975, and they currently live in Pasadena, California.
Jackie Scabello Played By Alessandra Balazs
Certain characters have small parts in a show but end up creating a significant impact. That describes Alessandra Balazs’ role as Jackie Scabello, who briefly appears in the show’s 5th season. She works with Fiona Gallagher (Emmy Rossum) and ends up changing the trajectory of Fiona’s life.
Right before Fiona announces her engagement to Gus Pfender, Jackie succumbs to her struggles with addiction. Like most of the staff working at Patsy’s Pies, Jackie was a recovering addict, and she was trying to get clean so that she could gain back custody of her daughter.
Alessandra Balazs In Real Life
Alessandra Balazs made her way to Hollywood back in 2008. She made her screen debut in Racing for Time, a TV movie. Balazs continued getting a steady flow of work with appearances in the mockumentary After Lately and the crime series New Amsterdam.
Besides her short stint in Shameless, Balazs is perhaps best known for appearing in Greenberg. She’s also appeared in the horror Blood Surf and the dama Pushover. Far from her image on the show, Balazs is also signed with Ford, the modeling firm. She’s still undoubtedly a rising talent to watch.
Lip Gallagher Played By Jeremy White
Philip “Lip” Gallagher is the second born in the Gallagher household. Lip is academically inclined, and he gets straight-As in school. He is also quick on his wits and comes up with various schemes to help his family make a quick buck.
The only thing is that his schemes aren’t made with the best judgment like he would start an ice cream truck that also sells beer and marijuana. He also takes SATs on behalf of his classmates. After school, he goes through a trumped out period with substance abuse, but he eventually turns things around.
Jeremy Allen White In Real Life
Jeremy White took up dancing in elementary school, specifically focusing on tap, ballet, and jazz. At 13, he figured that he should concentrate on acting going into middle school, and right out of school, he landed the role on Shameless.
White has also worked on the big screen, and he’s appeared in films like Afterschool, After Everything, and the upcoming horror The Rental. He has also appeared in shows like Conviction, Law & Order, and Homecoming. White and actress Addison Timlin married in 2019 after welcoming their daughter called Ezer Billie White the previous year.
Nessa Chabon Played By Jessica Szohr
Nessa Chabon is a character introduced in the show’s eighth season as a new tenant living in the same apartment building as Fiona. She is a smart and tough lady living with her girlfriend Mel, who comes off as a confrontational person.
Fiona is Nessa’s landlady, but they end up developing a strong friendship. Their connection doesn’t go down well with Mel, who then gets into a tiff with Fiona over the eviction of another tenant. Jessica Szohr, who we perhaps know best from Gossip Girl as Vanessa Abrams, plays the part of Nessa.
Jessica Szohr In Real Life
Jessica Szohr began her career appearing in shows like Joan of Arcadia, CSI: Miami, and What About Brian. Gossip Girl gave her a nudge under the spotlight, followed by a series of features in films like Ted 2 and The Internship.
Szohr will appear in the upcoming comedy-drama All-Star Weekend. When she isn’t busy filming, Szohr enjoys football, hiking, yoga, and church. She has most recently featured in shows like Twin Peaks and The Orville. Szohr is in a relationship with Brad Richardson, a professional hockey player.
Sheila Jackson Played By Joan Cusack
Joan Cusack portrays the role of Sheila Gallagher, the mother of Karen (Laura Wiggins) who Lip tutors at the start of the series. Sheila is kind and caring by nature, but she constantly battles her agoraphobia.
She is a widow, and Frank warms his way into her house so that he can get a roof over his head. Sheila overcomes her morbid fear of germs, but her relationship with her daughter becomes strained. Frank blows up her house in an accident, and Sheila sets off to explore the country in an RV.
Joan Cusack In Real Life
The ever-talented Joan Cusack has featured in films like Working Girl, In & Out, and the Toy Story series of films. She has an equally long list of credits in shows like A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Cusack has lent her voice to several shows like Peep and the Big Wide World and The Stinky & Dirty Show. Her role in Shameless did earn her five Primetime Emmy nominations, and she took home one win in 2015. Cusack is married to Richard Burke, an attorney, and they have two sons. Her siblings are actress Ann Cusack and actor John Cusack.
Kevin Ball Played By Steve Howey
Steve Howey plays the part of Kevin “Kev” Ball, who owns the Alibi Room, which just happens to be Frank Gallagher’s favorite watering hole. He is also the Gallaghers’ neighbor, and while Kev doesn’t approve of Frank’s lifestyle, he’ll still cash Frank’s disability checks and offer him drinks on credit.
Kev is married to Veronica Fisher (Shanola Hampton), and his background growing up in the foster system makes him a compassionate person. He inherits Alibi from its former owner and teams up with Mickey Milkovich to run a cathouse in the apartment above the bar.
Steve Howey In Real Life
Steve Howey was a famous face before joining the cast of Shameless from his time in Reba. He played the part of a high school football jock in the sitcom. Howey also guest-starred in shows like ER, The X-files, and The Drew Carey Show.
He attended the Colorado-based Northeastern Junior College, which is different from his character, whose dyslexia presents challenges for him. Howey is married to Sarah Shahi (The L Word), and they have three children. Shahi welcomed their son and twins via water birth at home. Howey’s character on the show also happens to have twins.
Svetlana Yevgenivna Played By Isidora Goreshter
Svetlana “Suka” Yevgenivna is a Russian adult entertainer portrayed by Isidora Goreshter on the show. Terry Milkovich hires her to seduce his son Mickey (Noel Fisher), who Terry believes might be gay. Svetlana gets pregnant and insists that Mickey is her unborn child’s father.
Mickey and Svetlana tie the knot, but things aren’t as rosy when they move in together. She resorts to blackmailing Mickey and Ian Gallagher (Cameron Monaghan), who are involved in a relationship. Svetlana and Mickey eventually divorce, but she keeps visiting him later in the season when he finds himself behind bars.
Isidora Goreshter In Real Life
Isidora Goreshter has Moldovan origins, but she was born in Long Beach, California. She took to the stage at the age of three, and as a child, Goreshter also competed in gymnastics. Goreshter later studied classical ballet and acting at the Stella Adler conservatory.
Paranoia, the 2013 thriller, served as her film debut followed by appearances in A Leading Man and Wonder Girls. She took up the role in Shameless as a guest, and it ended up being a recurring one. Goreshter has also had starring roles in Happy Anniversary and Petal Pushers.
Ian Gallagher Played By Cameron Monaghan
Cameron Clayton Monaghan takes on the role of the third-oldest Gallagher child, Ian. He is persistent and strong-hearted, also trying his best to chip in wherever he can. Ian comes out to his family about his orientation. His complicated relationship with Mickey is strained when Mickey impregnates Svetlana.
Ian is later on diagnosed as being Bipolar, but he refuses to undergo treatment, and his condition worsens. He quit school and enlisted in the army illegally. Ian also attempted to steal a chopper in the course of service and ended up being a wanted fugitive.
Cameron Monaghan In Real Life
Monaghan was a child model joining the industry just when he was three, and by the time he was seven, he had started acting. He and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was ten, and his fate was sealed. Monaghan might be known best from Shameless, but he also nailed the role of twins Jeremiah and Jerome Valeska in the Fox series Gotham.
He also appeared in the Xbox/ PlayStation4 game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order as Cal Kestis. Monaghan has guest-starred in several other shows like NCIS, Rizzoli & Isles, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Mickey Milkovich Played By Noel Fisher
Mikhailo Aleksandr “Mickey” Milkovich is the antisocial and aggressive character Noel Fisher plays on the show. He is Mandy Milkovich’s older brother with a long rap sheet, much like his father, Terry. Mickey and Ian start seeing each other in secret, with Mickey dating women publicly to hide the fact that he is gay.
He ends up getting entangled with Svetlana after his father hires her to seduce him. Mickey is eventually incarcerated on a 15-year sentence, but he escapes prison. He goes to Mexico but somehow ends up back in the same jail where Ian is incarcerated.
Noel Fisher In Real Life
Noel Fisher fell in love with music at an early age, and he studied the piano for eight years. At 14, he kicked off his acting career, appearing in The Sheldon Kennedy Story. He notably appeared in Final Destination 2, The Riches, and Shameless.
Fisher still picks up work for the big screen, and he will appear in the biographical crime film Fonzo. On the small screen, Noel recently featured in Castle Rock, The Red Line, and The Conners. Since 2017, Fisher has been married to Afghan-Canadian actress Layla Alizada (Jane the Virgin).
Carl Gallagher Played By Ethan Cutosky
Ethan Cutosky plays the part of the youngest Gallagher, Carl. He’s often portrayed as a troubled kid who can’t help getting entangled in the consequences of his poor decisions. Carl eventually ends up under arrest and does a stint in juvenile prison for a year.
Once he gets out of prison, Carl meets Kassidi, who is a carefree and wealthy girl. They fall heads over heels, and they rush to the altar to exchange vows. Their marriage isn’t as blissful as Carl expected when he starts seeing a different side of Kassidi.
Ethan Cutosky In Real Life
Ethan found his way under the spotlight at the age of four modelings for print commercials. He appeared in a series of successful ads and caught the eye of the right people who asked him to audition for commercials and then movies.
When he was seven, Ethan made his film debut starring alongside Vince Vaughn in Fred Claus. Shameless gave him his big break yet, and he was just 11 at the time. We have practically watched him grow before our eyes, and Ethan is now 20. Ethan has also guest-starred in other shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Power.
Veronica Fisher Played By Shanola Hampton
Veronica “V” Fisher is the neighbor next door we would all love to have. She’s outgoing, free-spirited, and quick on her wits. Fisher is best friends with Fiona, the show’s patriarch’s ( Frank Gallagher) eldest daughter. She is always helping Fiona get out of her shell by convincing her to go out clubbing.
Fisher is married to Kevin Ball, a bartender, and adventurous is the best word that describes their marriage. She held onto a dream of being a nurse, and she even landed a job that took her steps forward towards the goal. Fisher lost her job after she was caught stealing supplies.
Shanola Hampton In Real Life
Hampton’s career took off in the early 2000s when she started picking up roles in shows like Reba, Popular, Criminal Minds, and Shameless. She has also done modeling work for Rochelle as the face of their Left 4 Dead 2 video game.
Hampton most notably also appeared in Miami Medical as nurse Gracefa before joining the cast of Shameless as a series regular. Daren Dukes is the man who stole Hampton’s heart in real life, and they have two children together. We doubt that between her busy filming days and time spent home catching up with her family, she has much time for clubbing like her character on the show.
Debbie Gallagher Played By Emma Kenney
Deborah “Debbie” Gallagher is more forgiving of her father’s shortcomings and her mother’s absence. She covers for her others and comes off as more mature in specific ways, which don’t make her popular with kids her age.
Debbie makes some wrong decisions that see her end up having a baby with Derek Delgado, a mixed martial artist introduced from the fifth season. She ends up raising her daughter alone after Delgado and his family cut her off. Her relationship with her sister Fiona also becomes strained because Fiona refuses to raise another child.
Emma Kenney In Real Life
Emma Kenney landed the role of Debbie Gallagher when she was just 12, in seventh grade, and while she was attending Park Middle School. Before that, Kenney had already dipped her feet in showbiz. At the age of 9, she was the youngest finalist to make it to the New Jersey International Film Festival held at Rutgers University.
Kenney has also featured in shows like Boardwalk Empire, the revival of the popular sitcom Roseanne and currently in the show’s spin-off The Conners. Her film credits include Lyre Liar, Three Little Puppets, and Epic.
Jimmy Lishman Played By Justin Chatwin
Jimmy Lishman, also known as Jack and Steve Wilton, is the character who relentlessly pursues Fiona trying to win her heart. Curiously, he always seems to have expensive possessions, and he doesn’t shy away from spending his money liberally.
Eventually, we find out that Lishman attends medical school, and he’s from a wealthy family. Lishman married the daughter of a Brazillian mob leader to help her obtain US citizenship. He continues his relationship with Fiona and doesn’t tell her about the secret marriage, but they go their separate ways when it all unravels.
Justin Chatwin In Real Life
Justin Chatwin made ripples with appearances in films like War of the Worlds, Bang Bang Baby, and The Invisible. He also found success on the small screen with roles in Shameless, American Gothic, and Doctor Who. Most recently, he starred alongside Tyler Hoechlin and Katee Sackhoff in the Netflix series Another Life.
Chatwin is passionate about extreme sports like snowboarding, which he did back in Canada. He is also a motorcycle enthusiast, a photography lover, and an avid traveler. Chatwin is scheduled to feature in the 2020 film Die in a Gunfight.
Frank Gallagher Played By William H. Macy
The series, in a real sense, tells the story of Frank Gallagher and his six children. Their dysfunctional family is marred by Gallagher’s alcoholism, which sees him consumed by misadventures while his kids practically raise themselves. His children are intelligent, independent, and spirited, and they can survive without him in the picture.
On the show, Gallagher is often depicted at his local watering hole or passed out on the floor at home. When he is somewhat functional, he’s usually busy trying to get himself out of the messes he seeks out in the first place. Gallagher isn’t the type of man who would win any points as the World’s Greatest Dad.
William H. Macy In Real Life
William H. Macy does an incredibly great job of bringing Frank Gallagher to life on the screen. You wouldn’t imagine that he is far from a morbid alcoholic in real life, and his long list of impressive credentials proves that he can reel us into any role he plays.
Macy is also known for his multi-award-winning role in the 1996 black comedy Fargo. He has also delved behind the camera into directing, and he most notably worked on Rudderless, The Layover, and Krystal. Macy is married to Felicity Huffman, and they have two children who would say that he deserves the World’s Best Dad award.
Fiona Gallagher Played By Emmy Rossum
Fiona Gallagher is the eldest of the Gallagher children. She practically has to raise her five siblings owing to her parents’ absence and neglect. Fiona drops out of school in her junior year and picks up a minimum-wage job.
She develops a soft spot for her father despite his neglect, and she is even more compassionate after witnessing how her grandmother treats him. Fiona married Gus, a bassist, but after cheating on him, their marriage ends. She finds out that she’s expecting, around the same time, her sister Debbie is also expecting, but Fiona ends up having an abortion.
Emmy Rossum In real Life
Emmy Rossum initially earned recognition after appearing in the 2003 neo-noir drama Mystic River. She also delivered a memorable performance in The Day After Tomorrow and The Phantom of the Opera. Rossum, who is also a recording artist, has released two albums and a Christmas EP.
After actual contract disagreements with the show’s producer, Rossum left Shameless in its ninth season. The roles have kept flowing her way, and in 2019 she featured in the action-thriller Cold Pursuit. Rossum made her directorial debut when she was still a cast member of Shameless. In 2019 Rossum did direct an episode of Modern Love.