When and why did Fiona Gallagher break up with Amy Rossum?

When it comes to figuring out why Emmy Rossum left the show, it’s tempting not to read between the lines of what some Shameless cast and crew members have said over the years. Rumor has it that Rossum was hard work behind the scenes, which was further substantiated when Emma Kenny, who played Debbie on the series, hinted at them in a 2021 interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast (via Deadline). “I remember before she left,” Kenny recalled, “I would go on set every few days and I really wanted to do a scene with her because when she had a bad day, she made it bad for everybody.”

The official reason for Rossum’s departure is simply that she wanted to work on other projects, not because of any tension with the cast. “I can confidently say that this cast and crew I’ve had the honor of working with is world class,” she wrote in Facebook post at the time. “I am proud and filled with gratitude.”

Another potential factor behind Rossum’s departure was her pay dispute with Showtime in 2016. Like Variety reported At the time, Rossum is demanding equal pay with (William H.) Macy after seven seasons where she was paid less than him, according to a report published earlier today by The Hollywood Reporter. A source told Variety that she was actually offered But she wants a bigger salary than Macy to make up for previous seasons where she earned significantly less than him.

I think Rossum had a good point. Although Macy was the biggest name attached to the show, by 2016 it had long been clear that Rossum, Jeremy Allen White, and Cameron Monaghan were doing a lot more work than he was, with much more interesting material. Fiona, in particular, was both the heart of Shameless and the obvious protagonist; Of course, Rossum should be the highest paid. Showtime ended up agreeing to Rossum’s terms fairly quickly, and while some fans often speculate that the controversy played into Rossum’s decision to leave, her own comments on the situation suggest nothing of the sort.

“The bottom line for me was that I had to make a very unemotional, very business-like decision,” she said. said the Daily Beast after it happened. “It’s their responsibility to get the most bang for their buck, which means getting the talent that’s best for the role at the cheapest price. Everyone likes to sell something. And it’s our responsibility to get as much as we can, and that’s our agents “And the responsibility of the lawyers, at the end of the day.”