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Emmy Rossum has been the source of a lot of Shameless headlines in recent years, especially now that she's announced Season 9 will be her final season. The news hit fans, who had rallied behind her not long ago when contract negotiations over equal pay threatened her presence on the show. Rossum's co-star William H. Macy was far less shocked, and also completely understands why she's walking away following Season 9. The actor responded to Rossum's departure with a bit of added insight, and made it clear he supported her decision to exit:
We've been expecting it. I tell you, when you get to season 9 and you think of [whether] to keep going, it's daunting. It's hard not to think of: 'What would my life be post-Shameless?' And part of it is very frightening and part of it is very exciting. She's young and I think she's made the right choice. She's got another show that she's an executive producer on, so she's going right into something and she wants to branch out. Plus, she just got married. I wish her well. I can't wait to see what she's going to do next.
William H. Macy had nothing but kind words to say regarding Emmy Rossum's exit, and expressed a shared excitement for the next stage of her career. Macy, who has been in the acting game quite a while, completely empathized with the wide range of emotions an actor goes through when they think about their careers after a long-running show-- which is a perspective some fans might not understand. Macy gets it, as the 68-year-old actor pointed to Rossum's age and the promising career she has beyond her days as Fiona on Shameless.
William H. Macy's perspective on the situation may cool some heads, although others may still be burning up thinking Emmy Rossum just shortened the run of Shameless with her decision. Macy indicated to EW he's not all that worried about that happening, and cited the show's remaining cast as one of the primary reasons why. Macy explained that the cast is growing alongside their characters, so there's plenty of new plot avenues to keep the show going. Macy added fans shouldn't expect a lot of that changing to happen with his character, however, as the point of Frank Gallagher is that he never changes.
Emmy Rossum is leaving Shameless, but she'll be with the series when it premieres Season 9 on Showtime Sunday, September 9 at 9:00 p.m. ET. For a look at what else is coming to television over the next few months, be sure to visit our fall premiere guide. For more on Shameless, check out which other star of the series took some time off earlier this year to cope with stress and get her mind right.