Shameless
There is never a irksome twenty-four hours for the Gallaghers . If they are n’t in the middle of intrigue to make ends converge , they are dealing with their own messy dearest lives . The Shamelesscharacters are various , complicated and a heck of a slew of fun to view , putting any ordeal we might be going through to shame .
Showtime ’s longest - running drama features a nonadaptive house in the south side of Chicago , with a derelict paterfamilias , Frank , who has done very piffling parenting and an older sister , Fiona , who ’s had no alternative but to raise her five young siblings in the absence of a creditworthy parent .
apart from its outrageous mischief-making and colourful sentience of wit , Shamelessshowcases the struggles of the lower mediate class through its various cast . From mental sickness to habituation and felonious record book , the character ground the show ’s crazy stories and insert the vulnerability and humanness the viewers can bear on to .
However , not every character that has spent some time with the Gallaghers has helped the show along . passel of time throughout the seasons , new characters toss off up and cease up drag the main storyline . Sometimes even the principal dramatis personae can end up hurt the show .
Love ‘ em or hate ‘ em , Shameless has brought in to their earthly concern some characters that did n’t end up doing any favors for the show . However , there are plenty of actors who have been the true saving grace of the serial .
Here are10 Casting Decisions that Hurt Shameless ( And 10 That Saved It ) .
Hurt: Laura Slade Wiggins (Karen Jackson)
When they say an orchard apple tree does n’t fall far from the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , they certainly were not talk about Sheila and Karen . While Sheila is seraphic and generous in nature , Karen is spiteful and manipulative .
play by Laura Slade Wiggins , Karen shows up from season 1 as rim ’s love interest and is a major troublemaker for anyone who thwart her way . While Wiggins portray the " mean girl " side of Karen perfectly , the character quick became an instrument to regulate Lip ’s storyline as opposed to a full - fledged lineament .
If we could have ascertain a performance with more softness and vulnerability , Karen could have had more dimension .
Saved: Joan Cusack (Sheila Jackson)
Joan Cusack always brightens up every movie or show she ’s been in . From the very beginning , the south side was a slightly squeamish place thanks to Sheila Jackson , the darling agoraphobic neighbor with a undercover side .
Sheila is terrorise of going outside . Instead she focuses all of her energy on her home and her rebellious daughter , Karen .
Thanks to Cusack ’s acting skills , Sheila ends up feel like a vulnerable , wholesome character instead of a caricature .
Her need to maintain a electropositive posture in the expression of so much ugliness get her better than anyone around her .
Additionally , the way Cusack portrays how restrain agoraphobia can be throw off some light on a common mental disorderliness that many people struggle with .
Hurt: Tyler Jacob Moore (Tony Markovich)
Where was this work ? Did it even require to happen ? In season 1 , Fiona ’s primary lovemaking pursuit is the bad boy cable car stealer Steve . On the other hand , her safe and mellifluous love interest is her puerility friend and cop , Tony .
While Tyler Jacob Moore portrays the " stand - up guy cable " role accurately , the show simply did n’t give him enough to play with . Whenever Fiona is angry with Steve , she runs to Tony for a few indorsement .
In season 2 , when Steve disappears , Tony could have had an opportunity for a significant storyline , trying to essay himself to Fiona and suit into her crazy humankind . But the show quickly compose him off only to bring him back seasons later for the audience to know he is now gay . There was no ambiguity to Moore ’s original execution so this reveal made little sensory faculty .
Saved: Jessica Szohr (Nessa Chabon)
Sometimes the fresh characters who create less play are the ace who end up helping a show .
In the heart of so much bedlam and back - stabbing , it is nice for someone to be a stable and honest addition .
Nessa prove up in time of year 8 as one of the tenant of Fiona ’s newly bought flat building . At first , it seems like the show is point for a love interest for Fiona , but apparently Fiona ’s not her character .
portray by Jessica Szohr , Nessa proves to be a truthful friend and credible to Fiona in this new chapter of her spirit when she tries to move on up from the poorness occupation .
It is unclear yet if time of year 9 will add a story electric discharge for Nessa , other than being Fiona ’s trusty friend , but we ca n’t expect to see more from her .
Hurt: Nichole Bloom (Amanda)
Portrayed by Nichole Bloom , Amanda meets Lip in season 4 when he proceed away to college . The preppy , controlling stripling quickly becomes attached to Lip and indicate him how to pilot his elbow room through her high class world , expose him to all the thing he could have .
Bloom ’s functioning of the rich , manipulative girl who is looking to cop up with a bozo her father will detest is on point . The problem is Amanda remain pretty much one note until she decide to get back at Lip for no peculiar reason .
She fundamentally ruins his life because he was seeing his prof , even though they had agreed to a non - exclusive human relationship , and there ’s no endear vulnerability to make us sympathize with her .
Saved: Elliot Fletcher (Trevor)
One of the adept decisionsShamelessever made was vomit up Elliot Fletcher as Trevor , a trans social worker and Ian ’s lovemaking interest .
Trevor shows up in season 7 and quickly becomes the focus of Ian ’s attention . While Ian has his trepidation with go out a trans man , Trevor ultimately educates Ian on a whole side of the LBGT community of interests he was n’t intimate with .
The fact that Fletcher is a trans man himself adds more weight to the fibre .
Through Fletcher ’s performance , the consultation is exposed to a variety of issues regarding the trans community they might not have known about otherwise .
Ian is the audience ’s watercraft through this experience , asking questions and take a leak mistakes while Trevor graciously corrects him and helps him through it without any judgment .
Hurt: Emma Greenwell (Mandy Milkovich)
Mandy is one of those characters which seemed to be authoritative but finally fizzled out when she was no longer important for Lip ’s plot line .
One of the upshot was the obvious recast for the character . Originally Mandy was portrayed by Jane Levy , who decided to play the character as an eudaemonia , but horrific girl .
Very much like her brother , Mickey , Mandy was someone the Gallagher boys know not to mess with . Her lovemaking for Ian made her more accessible and eventually a person who would remain patriotic to the final stage .
When Mandy was recast with Emma Greenwell , there were some change to the character .
Mandy ended up becoming one of Lip ’s rejects and she was fueled with anger and vengeance . After that , the character slowly left the south side , will the watcher with a sad glimpse of her futurity .
Saved: Noel Fisher (Mickey Milkovich)
Mickey shew up in season 1 as one of the locality ’s violent thugs . The character , played by Noel Fisher , ab initio serves as Ian ’s nonadaptive honey interest since Mickey can never admit he is brave but is not oppose to swipe up with Ian , as long as no one ever find out .
As the season continue , Fisher play up Mickey ’s vulnerabilities .
He nail Mickey ’s unfitness to let in to himself and everyone else that he is he is festive , the reverence of feel like less of a man in front of his friends , and also the fear of misplace Ian , which he finally does .
On top of that , Fisher get to show a more caring and affectionate side to Mickey when he ends up taking maintenance of Ian after he is diagnosed with bipolar upset .
Hurt: Chloe Webb (Monica Gallagher)
Monica Gallagher , while not always present , is a huge part ofShamelessand possibly the main reason for the Gallagher ’s pessimistic / naturalistic attitude .
Frank frequently blames his destiny on Monica ’s spell on him and their tiddler . She disappears for years and when she comes back , she make a whole new batch of problems for her family .
Whenever she shows up , the viewers sympathise even more with the Gallaghers and their inevitable confidence issue .
The job is Chloe Webb portray Monica in one note , like a naïve helpless cleaning lady rather of the manipulative force she really is . While Monica ’s actions do scream betrayal and chaos , the fictitious character ’s shade are not really there in the performance .
Saved: Steve Howey (Kevin Ball)
Whenever the Gallaghers are in a tweak , which pass off oft , there is Kev , to offer limited intelligence but a gross ton of backup .
Kevin Ball , play by Steve Howey , is the Gallaghers ; neighbour , along with his girlfriend Vee , Fiona ’s best acquaintance .
Howey does a great job of impersonate a menacing - look guy who is really just a sweet walkover underneath .
Howey ’s extensive television experience in play , likeSons of Anarchy , and appearances in comedy show likeRebaandNew Girl , have helped him in handling a reference like Kevin , someone who fetch in unintentional comedy relief in an otherwise tense office .
Regardless of some of his morally refutable choices , Kevin always means well and does his best to do well by Vee and help his friends .
