Actress Emmy Rossum has announced that after playing the coveted role of Fiona Gallagher on Showtime’s famed dramady series Shameless, season 9 will be her last. In an open letter to fans of the series posted on Facebook Thursday, Rossum wrote, “I know you will continue on without me, for now. 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.”
Showtime’s head of programming, Gary Levine, confirmed Rossum’s exit in a statement to Variety. “We were saddened when Emmy Rossum let us know that the upcoming ninth season of ‘Shameless’ would be her last,” Levine said. “But we are filled with an overwhelming sense of joy and gratitude for Emmy’s inspired work on our series, of course in front of the camera but also behind it. Fiona Gallagher will always be one of Showtime’s iconic characters, and we applaud Emmy for bringing this character to life in such a natural, touching and fearless performance. On behalf of everyone at Showtime and her millions of fans, we thank you Emmy!”
The series was renewed for a ninth season, which will premiere on September 9, 2018 and is the longest-running original scripted series in Showtime’s history. Rossum has played Fiona Gallagher on the Showtime series since 2011. She co-stars on the show with on-screen patriarch William H. Macy and an ensemble of young actors who play her siblings.
Source: Variety