‘Shameless’ Shocker: Emmy Rossum Leaving, After 9 Seasons

After nine seasons, Emmy Rossum is saying goodbye to Shameless. In an emotional Facebook post, the actress confirmed that she will be leaving the Showtime comedy, and she praised the series and her co-stars for all they have given her over the last nine years. Rossum didn’t specify when or how she will be leaving the show, but the transition seems natural for both the actress and her character, Fiona Gallagher.

“It’s a hard thing to put into words, feelings. But I’m going to try,” wrote Rossum. “The opportunity to play Fiona has been a gift. There are few characters — female or otherwise — as layered and dynamic. She is a mother lion, fierce, flawed and sexually liberated. She is injured, vulnerable, but will never give up. She is living in an economic depression, but refuses to be depressed. She is resourceful. She is loyal. She is brave. I knew it the second I read the pilot script, this was different, this was special.” Rossum went on to explain that she considers her Shameless co-stars her “family,” and as such, leaving them is no easy task. “Quite simply, the last eight years have been the best of my life,” she wrote.

However, it’s time for Rossum to move on to bigger and better things. “I know you will continue on without me, for now,” she assured fans. “There is much more Gallagher story to be told. I will always be rooting for my family. Try not to think of me as gone, just think of me as moving down the block.” Rossum has started to build a cinematic career for herself outside of Shameless: she appeared in the Netflix film A Futile and Stupid Gesture and Sam Esmail’s (her husband) Comet, and she’ll be seen next in the 2019 flick Hard Powder alongside Liam Neeson and Laura Dern. Rossum is great as Fiona, but we’re excited to see her really show off her acting chops in a way that Shameless’ rapid-fire plot doesn’t always allow.

Rossum filmed at least part of Shameless Season 9, so expect to see her in the season premiere when it debuts on Sunday, September 9 (Season 9 on 9/9, it’s easy to remember). However, the actress didn’t reveal how much she’ll appear in the upcoming season or when her final episode will be. This season, Shameless will air in two parts, so it’s possible that the mid-season finale will feature Fiona’s final goodbye. Where will she go? Will Fiona reunite with Jimmy-Steve in the Caribbean or wherever the hell he is? Will she set off to open a diner franchise across the border in Indiana? Maybe she’ll move to the Chicago’s North Shore and live a life of luxury?

We’re doubtful, but if Shameless has taught us one thing over the last nine years, it’s that anything is possible.

Shameless Season 9 premieres September 9 on Showtime.

Where to Stream Shameless