Shameless star Emma Kenney addresses Emmy Rossum’s departure
The two played siblings on the Showtime family drama for nine years
Aux News Shameless
Emma Kenney, who played Debbie Gallagher on Shameless for a decade, expressed her feelings about co-star Emmy Rossum leaving the show in 2018. In a recent interview with the Call Her Daddy podcast, Kenney shares how she and Rossum’s relationship felt like a true sibling relationship, in both good and bad ways.
“We 100% felt like a family, and we still do,” says the now 22-year-old of her fellow Shameless cast members. “We had such a bonding experience.”
With Rossum being 13 years older than Kenney though, that elder sibling dynamic was intensified on and off screen. “We were both so young, I was obviously a lot younger. There were times where she would try to be a good influence and then there were times where she would be blatantly giving me… not the best advice,” Kenney says. “Maybe she was struggling with her own inner problems and taking it out on other people. But we all handle situations differently.”
“Growing up I took note of—not just from her in particular—things I want to carry on my life and things I don’t want to carry on,” she continues.
Following Rossum’s departure from the series in 2018, Kenney says, “It was weird at first for sure but it also—the set became a little bit more of a positive place, I’m not gonna lie.”
While none of the friction on set was too obvious for viewers (aside from Rossum’s contract negotiations in 2016), Kenney says on set was a different experience. “I remember pre-her leaving, I’d go to set some days and I’d be very anxious about having a scene with her because if she had a bad day, she made it a bad day for everybody,” Kenney says.
Despite these rumbles while working as coworkers, The Conners actor says there are no hard feelings, but the two no longer talk.
“I have a lot of love for Emmy, I’ve known her for so long. We haven’t spoken in years… but that’s okay,” she says. “I have a lot of love for her, and I hope that she finds her happiness. I heard she had a baby and that’s beautiful and I’m sure she’s going to be a lovely mother.”
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Wow, that was the most polite “This person suuuuucks” I’ve ever read in my life.
She threw enough shade to combat climate warming.
“Blatantly[…]not the best advice” is a delicious turn of phrase.
“I remember last time Emmy was having a bad day. She gave me her extra backstage pass for Marilyn Manson and said he’s a real hoot.”
“…his name is Jeffrey and he has his own private jet and his own island! Take his number! I met him when I was about your age and I can tell you: he’s a cool hang.”
Some grade A white womaning.
she’s making up for how awful her character was
she’s making up for how awful her character wasThat may take the rest of her career.
At least she’s young and has time.
The most charitable interpretation is that she went to Rossum to ask for advice on parts of the script she was unhappy with, and Rossum was already upset enough herself that she couldn’t offer any real advice.A kid can develop a pretty close bond to you, and feel abandoned if you didn’t realize that it was as close as it was. William H. Macy, at least, but probably also the older characters, wouldn’t probably change his tone with former child actors beyond acknowledging that they’re adults now. (i.e. he might change his acting advice, he wouldn’t change his willingness to look at them as kids that you should help out)
Saying nothing might have been even more polite.
Hey, look – because someone is a pain in the ass at work doesn’t make them vile. I have friends with whom I love to hang out, but don’t want to work with them.
I’m curious what the “not the best advice” she gave her was.
And saying she was “struggling with her own inner problems and taking it out on other people”? So when Emmy Rossum has a bad day she gives you bad advice?
“I’m curious what the “not the best advice” she gave her was.”Punch Frank in the face?
maybe like when a drunk says to you “oh just have a drink” sorta thing or someone who shows up to work hungover and says “you need to party more”
Put it all on the Washington Generals. They’re due!
He’s spinning the ball on his finger! Just take it!
Steve Martin on four…
That game was fixed…
I think they’ve won 6 times including once when they weren’t meant to.
“These pills work wonders!”
“The taste stays with you for days but at least he’ll give you the part.”
“I only have one word for you sweety. D-cups.”
“Meet me at the capitol on January 6th!”
IDK, something like that.
I was thinking along the lines of “You can’t get pregnant if you do it standing up.” (I’ve actually known people who believed that – worked about as well as you’d expect) – but I guess she was a little young for that. Or maybe not? :>”
“They aren’t listening, so just say yes.”
Sounds like after 9 years of the show she hated being there and wanted out, and so she left
I thought it had to do with pay. She was arguably the main character, and wanted the same as what William H. Macy was getting. I lost track of the show tho. No idea what was going on towards the end.
I think it was because Felicity Huffman didn’t get her in the right college.
I think I love you.
She got a raise to equal Macy in either her last year or last two years.
Don’t worry, nobody in the writer’s room for that show did either
From what I remember she wanted what Macy was making, plus the difference in back pay if she has been paid the same as Macy for those years she wasn’t.
The alleged problems with Emmy’s on-set behavior predate Shameless. Thus why her career never really broke out post-Phantom of the Opera like it should have.
The material Emmy was given post season 3 is terrible. She is a very talented actress and was being wasted on that show. Add to that the fact that she was underpaid for years and I can understand her frustration showing up at work sometimes.
Growing up I took note of—not just from her in particular—things I want to carry on my life and things I don’t want to carry on“i actively work on trying to not be like her.”what’s with these theater kids like emmy, lea michele, and anna kendrick where they do not have the best attitudes/personalities?
wait, what did Anna Kendrick do? I missed it.
there hasn’t really been a big public reckoning like with Lea Michele but there are little stories in the press about her not being nice and she generally doesn’t have a good reputation within the industry. Not quite as terrible as Lea Michelle but just generally not nice to co-stars and generally looks down on people, rude etc.
Wait, what’s the deal with Kendrick? I thought almost everyone loved her, except maybe by people who haven’t had their first cup yet so can you keep it down for just a little.
I don’t think anything is wrong with Anna. I’m pretty sure the OP just remembered her name from Pitch Perfect and threw her into the mix.
https://www.pedestrian.tv/entertainment/tiktok-stylist-tahira-rates-celebrities-barneys/ TL/DR: Stylist says Kendrick would only communicate via her assistant. Wanted $10k to wear clothes for a book signing. Had a bunch of unopened fan mail trashed.
Phenomenal characterization. I audibly said “yes” after I read it.
Anecdotal, for sure, but there’s plenty of talk from crewmembers and such that say Anna is actually really obnoxious to work with. My buddies wife is a publicist and has said that Anna is the worst person she’s worked with in her entire career.
Have you ever met any theater kids before? I have yet to meet anyone that was into theatre and not make everything around them be about them. This is really just par for the course.
“what’s with these theater kids…where they do not have the best attitudes/personalities?”Have you met a theater kid?
What’s wrong with Anna Kendrick?Also, I went to a high school that was partnered with APA (Academy for the Performing Arts). Theater kids are a different breed.
Of course so are child tv stars, like Emma Kenny… (I mean don’t get me wrong, she seems fine, it just seems weird in an article about a former child TV actor to rant about theatre kids…)
Definitely weird.
Well it was either theater or become a CEO of a major social media company.
“I actively try not to be like her, the mere thought of seeing her made me tense up, she talked a lot of shit, and it was a much more pleasant environment when she was gone for good. I love her. We don’t speak.”
“I’m sure she’s a great mother.”
I think that in order to make it, you’ve got to act like you deserve it, or at least think you do, and that can really warp a person’s world-view.
Also, while we all have innate tendencies, your personality is often heavily shaped by outside feedback. If you’re at a certain level of rich and famous, people usually stop telling you you’re being an asshole to your face. And once it seemingly has no consequences, it’s easy to keep doing it. It’s hard to imagine that anyone would be their best selves if all their worst instincts were endlessly indulged throughout puberty.
Also I wonder if there isn’t a certain element of when you don’t much like who you really are, you go into a business where you spend your days pretending to be someone else?
I imagine being a woman who gets started early in the industry and grows up in it is probably extremely stressful and maybe shapes people in some less-than-ideal ways.
I’ve never read a bad word about Kendrick.
crew accounts of anna over the years
Citation needed.
Anna Kendrick can’t be too bad, she repeatedly rocks with Desus & Mero
I feel like she doesn’t actually have a lot of love for her
So Rossum is worse than Roseanne? Goddamn!
According to Egotastic, she’s “Emmy Awesome”.
“With Rossum being 13 years older than Kenney though, that elder sibling dynamic was intensified on and off screen.”I’m 13 years older than my youngest sibling and I’ve always felt more like her uncle than her brother. I also didn’t pay a whole lot of attention to her during her early years, as I was more interested in doing teenage things than hanging out with a toddler. I also started college at the same time she started kindergarten which seemed weird.
I also started college at the same time she started kindergarten which seemed weird. At least tell me Mommy sent you both off to school with a nice note in your lunch.
My mother is the third of five kids, and she and her sister are nine years apart, and 16 years apart between her and the youngest sibling. There were similar feelings between those three siblings.
I’m basically the middle of 4 kids as I’m the closet in age everyone. So I basically grew up with all my siblings. We have shared friends, went to the same parties, played on the same teams etc. I guess I kind of took that for granted because it wasn’t until I was my 30’s that I realized my oldest brother and my youngest brother (10 year age difference) don’t really know each other that well due to them not really growing up together.
I would say that we now know each other well as adults. I have a pretty tight-knit family, so we see each other often. We are very different people though, so we don’t hang out one on one. I’m also the only male, and feel like my three sisters have their own bond that I’m not really part of.
siblings 14 and 12 years older than me.they’re aunts for all intents and purposes
One other interesting thing is that she and I had completely different childhoods. I was born in 1983, and she was born in 1996. My early years were relatively analog, and she has only ever known a digital world. I was of course aware of the internet at a fairly young age, but it didn’t have widespread adoption, and definitely didn’t in my working class neighborhood. I was a junior in high school by the time we had internet in the house, my sister can’t remember life without it. My parents were also very young (19 and 20) and broke when I was born, they were in a much better place by the time my youngest sister came along. I’m guessing you and your siblings had a similarly different childhood.
yeah except I’m your age but I’m the last one with all the older siblings that grew up in the 60s and 70s.I was designated tech support for the entire family until I was 21 and said no more.
That’s funny, it puts your siblings close to my dad who was born in 1963, I had young parents. He’s good with tech, and I haven’t really had to play tech support with him 🙂 It was also interesting having young parents; my best friend had old parents who were the same age as my grandparents.
My oldest sister is older than your dad. Dad was mid-40s when I was born. Mom late 30s. They say kids born to parents that old are higher likelihood of high intelligence, but also higher chance of developmental disability. Running joke in my family is that “jury’s out on which one HamiltonIsTrash turned out to be! LOLOLOL”
I totally agree. I am 12 years older than my half brother and up until he turned five I took care of him a lot. I feel like an aunt to him now that we are both adults.
to some people it might be weird having your sister leave for college when you’re 3 and the next oldest one drive to you to school until you’re 8, but that’s intergenerational dad’s-2nd-family America for you
16 and 14 years’ age difference between me and my siblings. One of the reasons I appreciated “Six Feet Under” was that it’s one of the few places I’ve seen that wide age spread depicted, showing how siblings see each other across that age divide.
Interesting, those are your only siblings? I have two other siblings between me and her, there is just a big gap between the bookends. In our case mom and dad started and ended with an “oops”.
Wow — really giving it to her with both barrels.
What an asshole. Fuck yourself, Emma.
I’m with Rossum on this one. She was the heart of that show, and she knew it, and deserved equal if not greater pay than Macy. When she left, the show just went to pieces.
I’m with her on the pay. Sounds like she may have taken out her frustration with the production on her co-workers though, which is absolutely not cool.On the other hand maybe the kid(s) wanted Emmy to be a big sis off screen too and Emmy wasn’t up for that (And why should she be? She’s not really family.) In conclusion Shameless is a land of contrasts. Thank you.
This solidifies my theory that Fiona’s original ending was going to be much more negative and that Emmy left because of it.
The writers produced absolute shit material for YEARS on that show and the last few seasons they destroyed Fiona. Everything that the character had worked to achieve they just blew to pieces. I hate the writers of that show. Emmy Rossum is very talented and I hope she finds some great roles.
When you stay on a show for too long, especially if the show itself stays on the air for too long and its quality starts dipping, the ambience often turns for the worse. You often hear stories like these, where everyone admits the last years were rough. We heard the same about Patrick Dempsey just recently.
There’s only so many ‘Day After Tomorrow’ anecdotes a person can stand.
I don’t believe that anything happened on Shameless unless one of the characters is telling me I missed it, while also implying that I’m an inattentive ass for it.
Did she really need to go onto a podcast to talk shit about someone who’s supposed to be a sister? I don’t know about you guys, but I’d never do that to my siblings, falling out or no.
Nah, she talked some shit about a coworker she didn’t like. The “sister” thing is metaphorical. Also, most of us aren’t in a position to talk shit about our siblings on a podcast – not even the racist alcoholic one who blames my wife for shit that our mom did.
Who the hell throws around words like “brother” and “sister” metaphorically?
They’re actors playing siblings not real siblings… I kinda think part of the issue here could be that Emma might have wanted Emmy to be a big sister figure offscreen too and Emmy had no interest in that. Which sounds a little cruel or cold but is fair, I mean one is a 20 something adult and the other is a young teenager, there’s no reason they should be anything more than co-workers off set.
Aside from Everything Kevin Ever Did, Fiona was the best thing on that show.
“I have a lot of love for her, and I hope that she finds her happiness. I
heard she had a baby and that’s beautiful and I’m sure she’s going to
be a lovely mother.”
Bruh, lol
LOL @ the idea then-26 year old lead character Rossum gave a shit about 13-year old ancillary character…Emma Kenney (sorry, had to scroll up to remember her name).Who told Emma it was Rossum’s job to be her mentor/sister/babysitter? It’s a workplace. Weird article.
Who told Emma it was Rossum’s job to be her mentor/sister/babysitter?No one? Probably why it isn’t ever mentioned.
This!! I believe Emmy was also having fertility issues in the last years she was on the show which can lead to behavioral issues.
I like this. I like the fact that she’s just honest about her experience without being dramatic. I think most of us have had co-workers that we have no desire to see again.
Ok I hear what you’re saying Emma Kenney, but to be fair Emmy Rossum is smoking hot…so there’s that.
Wait…are you telling me Vera Wang’s also-famous niece isn’t a grounded human being and positive role model?
Whatever happened with that Angelyne show Rossum was supposed to be doing? Feels like I saw a trailer for it 18 months ago, and then…