With debut of its ninth season upon us, Shameless is now Showtime’s oldest currently-running fictional series.
Based on a UK series of the same name, Shameless stars Oscar-nominated actor William H. Macy as the dysfunctional patriarch of the Gallagher clan, a struggling working-class family on the south side of Chicago. While gut-bustingly hilarious at times, Shameless also goes to much darker places than many TV series has ever gone, dealing with addiction, family dysfunction, social and economical class struggles, mental health, LGBTQ issues, and other taboo topics in an unflinching manner.
Macy– along with co-star Emmy Rossum, who plays his oldest child, Fiona– head up a cast of brilliant actors who have been playing their parts for nearly a decade now, some literally growing up on screen during Shameless‘s run. They have taken these characters on a dizzying journey through the lives of the Gallgahers and their friends and enemies, clutching on to every tiny triumph amidst what seems to be mostly tragedy. All the while, they have made us conflicted about when to praise them and when to condemn them, but we never stop rooting for them.
While this is one case where the behind-the-scenes trivia of a show couldn’t possibly be as crazy as what is happening on the show itself– at least, we can only hope that it isn’t– that doesn’t mean that there isn’t plenty of fascinating tidbits about the making of the show and about its actors and creative team that will blow away even the most hardcore fans.
Here are 25 Crazy Things About Shameless That Only True Fans Knew.
25. It Was Almost Set In A Trailer Park
In trying to decide where to set the American version of Shameless, producers initially wanted to take the easy route of having it take place in the south and in a trailer park.
John Wells, who developed the U.S. version, was staunchly opposed to that plan, saying that such a setting has already been overdone and often makes for lazy, cliched jokes and situations. Wells said that the show would be more effective if the majority of viewers felt like the Gallaghers could be their neighbors, saying “They’re the people who live four blocks down from you and two blocks over.”
Additionally, original creator Paul Abbott also had reservations about the show being set in a trailer park for the same reasons, and only got on board when he heard Walls’ ideas for where the Gallaghers should live.
24. Emmy Rossum wasn’t allowed to audition
It takes a certain kind of actress to play a role like Fiona Gallagher, and Shameless‘s producers didn’t think that Emmy Rossum had what it took.
Looking at her work prior to the role– especially her part in 2004’s The Phantom of the Opera— they thought she was too pretty, too clean-cut, and too glamorous to tackle a role like Fiona. In fact, they refused to even give her an audition, convinced she could never land the part.
In a very Fiona move, Rossum refused to accept that, making own audition tapes and sending them anyway.
She wasn’t taking no for an answer– and once they saw her audition, they weren’t saying no anymore.
(Excerpt) Read More at: ScreenRant.com