Summary

  • Fiona Gallagher, played by Emmy Rossum, left the series Shameless after season 9 in order to pursue new opportunities and further her acting career.
  • Fiona's departure was unexpected and left a void in the show, but it made sense for her character to move on as she had already done so much for her dysfunctional family.
  • Emmy Rossum's departure was due to scheduling conflicts and her desire to take on different projects, but she will always have a special connection to Fiona and her time on Shameless.

Shameless was an irreverent comedy that ran on Showtime for 11 seasons and starred Emmy Rossum as overworked Fiona Gallagher until season 9 — but why did Fiona leave Shameless? Ending in 2021, the final two seasons of Shameless were missing an integral character. Fiona quickly showed herself to be the main protagonist and level-headed protector of the rest of the Gallagher family from the very beginning of the series. When Fiona was introduced, she was shown as a caretaker for her five siblings and alcoholic father, Frank (William H. Macy). It seemed like Shameless would potentially struggle without Rossum as Fiona, but there were reasons for this major change.

People were shocked when Emmy Rossum decided to leave the beloved series, but her reasons were her own and nothing can last forever. Other cast members left the show, most notably Cameron Monaghan's Ian Gallagher in season 9, before shortly returning to Shameless. Either way, Rossum's absence was sorely felt, and it's quite the feat that the series was able to finish out two seasons without her. So, when does Fiona leave Shameless, and why did Emmy Rossum depart in the first place? Ultimately, Fiona left Shameless so that Emmy Rossum could move on to a new point in her career.

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Why Fiona Left The Gallagher's Behind

Fiona Gallagher sitting on steps in Shameless

At the end of Shameless season 9, Fiona decided that she had done all that she could for her family, which is why Fiona left Shameless. This exit seemed out of place in many ways due to Fiona being such an important character in the show. She was able to acquire $100,000 after being bought out of an investment, which allowed her to contribute half of that toward her family's continued care, but it still seemed like the dysfunctional Gallagher family even at near-adult age needed their older sister just like they always had. As much as the show tried to provide an explanation, Fiona's sudden absence after 9 seasons of Shameless was still jarring.

Still, some fans did feel that Fiona had run her course throughout the character's time on Shameless. Most of the Gallagher siblings were adults capable of taking care of themselves and each other by the time Emmy Rossum left Shameless. With her business savvy consistently shown through managing her own apartment building and selling that investment, she would be capable of moving on to bigger and better things. There had always been tension surrounding whether Fiona would leave her family. Shameless season 1 ended with Fiona almost going to Brazil with Jimmy (Justin Chatwin) when he had to flee the country, but she ultimately decided that being with her family was more important.

Emmy Rossum Wanted To Move On From Shameless

Fiona smiling slightly in Shameless

Another reason why Fiona left Shameless after season 9 was actress Emmy Rossum's schedule and desire to pursue other projects. Her final appearance on Shameless was in the season 9 finale, "Found," which aired in 2019. That was also the year that Rossum began work as star and executive producer of the Peacock miniseries Angelyne. Taking on double duty for this miniseries likely meant that there would be scheduling conflicts with Shameless, and after nine seasons, it is understandable that Rossum would want to spread her wings and take on new projects to stretch herself as an actor.

Rossum announced her departure from the series herself on her social media accounts. She called her time playing Fiona "a gift," and had great affection for the character. Though Rossum had loved the character since reading the pilot, she felt it was time for her to move on.

The opportunity to play Fiona has been a gift… There are few characters — female or otherwise — as layered and dynamic. She is a mother lion, fierce, flawed, and sexually liberated. She is injured, vulnerable, but will never give up. She is living in an economic depression but refuses to be depressed. She is resourceful. She is loyal. She is brave. I knew it the second I read the pilot script, this was different, this was special.

When Rossum spoke about leaving the series with Entertainment Weekly, she admitted to feeling like she wouldn't really be leaving the character behind. She reiterated that she was proud of her work, but again, that it was time for her to move on.

I will never be saying goodbye to Fiona. Fiona is a part of me and has been like every character is a part of you and you are a little bit part of them. My Shameless family is really my second family and I've spent so much time with them — 10,000 hours — that it really feels like we've all grown up together. I started on the show when I was 23 and now I'm not. [Laughs.] And it's a wonderful, wonderful amount of time and I feel incredibly proud of everything we have created. I'm just filled with gratitude for everyone's hard work.

Even with those reasons for why Fiona left Shameless in mind, wouldn't she want to make a return for the series finale at the end of Shameless season 11? That was the original plan for the show, but unfortunately, the final season was filmed in 2020. This was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant that the cast and crew had to complete a mandatory quarantine period before they were able to work on set. Due to scheduling conflicts and time restraints, it simply wasn't feasible for the production and Rossum's schedule, so Fiona couldn't return for the Shameless finale.

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Fiona Was Given A Fitting Sendoff

Fiona was given a near-perfect sendoff when Fiona left the series in season 9. For most of her final season of Shameless, the writers broke Fiona down, nearly leaving her at rock bottom. Fans might have thought she would end up in a similar rut to her father. As she found herself in trouble with the law and at the end of her rope though, one of her best decisions paid off.

Fiona had previously invested in a piece of property, and when it was purchased, she ended up with a nice nest egg to both help herself start over and help her family. Giving half of the money to her family is a great way for the writers to show that just because Fiona needed to step away and find her own path in life didn’t mean she didn’t care for them. She wanted to help her siblings as much as possible, but she couldn’t continue to be Frank’s stand-in now that her siblings were all old enough to see their father for who he really was.

Fiona’s send-off, despite being jarring for the audience, has been considered one of the best character exists in modern television. Fiona leaving Shameless to start her own life makes perfect sense for a character who has spent most of her life caring for everyone else around her.

What Emmy Rossum Has Done Since Shameless

Emmy Rossum in the Angelyne teaser trailer

Emmy Rossum left Shameless in series 9, and while it marked the end of Fiona Gallagher's time on the show, it wasn't the last viewers had seen of Rossum. Immediately after her Shameless exit, Emmy Rossum went on to star in and produce the aforementioned Angelyne, which is currently awaiting news on whether the mini-series will have a second season greenlit by Peacock. Angelyne was generally received well by critics and audiences and received several Emmy nominations.

Rossum also starred alongside Tom Holland and Amanda Seyfried in The Crowded Room on Apple TV+. It is based on the 1981 nonfiction thriller The Minds of Billy Milligan by Daniel Keyes. Rossum plays Candy Sullivan, the mother of Holland's character who ends up in a bad relationship and testifies against her son in court.

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Fiona Left The UK Shameless Early Too

Fiona in the UK Shameless series

Shameless is based on a UK show of the same name and general premise, and the UK Fiona Gallagher left early too. Irish actress Anne-Marie Duff played Fiona in the UK Shameless, and she left the TV show in season 2, a little over a year after the program launched. Therefore, it's easy to surmise that her iteration of Fiona didn't have enough time to become the same staple that Emmy Rossum's version did.

Similar to her counterpart, Duff wanted to further explore her movie career, and went on to make the TV movie Born Equal in 2006 after leaving Shameless. Funnily enough, Scottish actor James McAvoy (IT: Chapter 2) had his debut on the series, and the two were married in real life, as well as on the show. The original Fiona from Shameless has gone on to have an illustrious theater and television career, despite leaving the series so early on.

  • Shameless US
    Cast:
    Emmy Rossum, William H. Macy
    Release Date:
    2011-01-09
    Seasons:
    11
    Genres:
    Drama
    Network:
    Showtime
    Streaming Service(s):
    Hulu, Netflix
    Directors:
    William H. Macy
    Showrunner:
    John Wells
    Season List:
    Shameless US - Season 1, Shameless US - Season 2, Shameless US - Season 3, Shameless US - Season 4, Shameless US - Season 5, Shameless US - Season 6, Shameless US - Season 7, Shameless US - Season 8, Shameless US - Season 9, Shameless US - Season 10, Shameless US - Season 11