Fiona Gallager is saying her farewells.
In an emotional Facebook post on Thursday, Emmy Rossum, 31, announced her departure from Shameless, the hit show she has starred on for nine seasons. The actress is known for her role as Fiona Gallagher, the oldest Gallagher sibling who stepped up to become the matriarch of her crazy family.
“It’s hard thing to put into words, feelings," she writes in a lengthy Facebook post. "But I’m going to try. This business is always an adventure, full of travel and opportunities to tell stories. Usually as an actor, every few months, you travel to a new place, start a new project, build a new character, learn new rhythms, new inside jokes with your crew, make new friends.
"Until Shameless came into my life 8 years ago, I led that kind of transient wonderful life of an actor. And I never realized how much I actually craved the kind of continuity that this show has given me. And given all of us in the crew. Season after season I’m amazed that our same crew comes back. And it’s not just because it’s a wonderfully written, wonderfully layered show. There are these real connections, real friendships that bring us back season after season after season."
Rossum says that, unlike her character, she doesn't have siblings — but her costars always felt like family. "I’m an only child," she writes. "I never had a big family. Being ensconced in that messy Gallagher family love is something I’d always dreamed of. But even off set, it feels real. We’ve watched the kids grow up into the strong, talented, independent human beings that they are. I taught Emma to shave her legs. I was there when Ethan learned to drive. Shanola and Jeremy and Joan and Bill danced at my wedding in New York last year. Our fearless leader John Wells thankfully held Sam and me up on those rickety chairs during the hora. I’ve spent the Jewish holy days in temple with David Nevins and his wonderful wife and kids. It really feels like a family.”
The opportunity to play Fiona, she says, "has been a gift."
In 2016, Rossum refused to sign on for the eighth season of Shameless, until she was paid the same as costar William H. Macy, who reportedly made more money than she did. Showtime had already offered Rossum pay equity ahead of the drama's eighth season, but Rossum rejected that deal and asked for a larger salary than Macy’s to make up for all of the past seasons that she was paid less than hi, according to Variety.
"I just felt that I love the show, I love everyone in it, I want to keep doing it, but I just wanted it to feel right," she explained at the 2017 Vulture Festival.
The show's executive producer and show runner, John Wells, released a statement to Cosmopolitan.com saying Rossum will "forever be part of the Shameless family."
"She has been integral to the show’s success, from her wonderful portrayal of Fiona to her leadership role on set, as well as directing multiple episodes of the series," Wells says. "We are hard at work now creating a season nine finale for Shameless which we hope will provide a Gallagher-worthy sendoff for Fiona that honors the great work Emmy has done. It is always bittersweet when an ensemble member decides to move out of the proverbial house, but our door will always remain open for Fiona to return home for a visit, or to move back in. I look forward to continuing the stories of this wildly unpredictable family and all of us on Shameless will miss Emmy and her wonderful Fiona.”
Rossum feels “proud” and “filled with gratitude” to have worked on the long-running show — and estimates she spent some 10,000 hours on set.
"I know you will continue on without me, for now," she writes. "There is much more Gallagher story to be told. I will always be rooting for my family. Try not to think of me as gone, just think of me as moving down the block."
