Ahead of the premiere of Shameless Season 9, star Emmy Rossum announced she would be departing the series, and it turns out that Rossum won't be the only series regular making an exit from Showtime's critically acclaimed dramedy. Gotham star Cameron Monaghan, who portrays Ian Gallagher, shared that he will also be leaving the show in surprisingly short order. Read his reasoning in the heartfelt message to fans below:
There you have it: another Gallagher will be leaving home. Fans will not have long to sift through the news of Cameron Monaghan and Ian's exit from Shameless before it is already here. Per the actor's Instagram message, the next episode of the series will be his last, so he'll no longer be on the show by next Sunday night.
Shameless' latest episode seemed to hint at a potential exit, with Ian pleading insanity in his court case. In the preview for Episode 6, Ian is wearing a yellow jumpsuit and is heard saying he's about to spend the next two years living in the tension of "fight or flight mode." But first, he wants to enjoy one last day where he feels safe, but it's unclear how he'll try and do that.
Beyond all this, Cameron Monaghan did share some potentially positive news on the outlook of a potential return to the series. Towards the end of his exit missive, the charismatic actor bids his character goodbye before posing the rhetorical question of whether they will meet again.
So, the upside to this news is that Monaghan is seemingly not ruling out ever returning to Shameless. The actor's decision comes as he is also coming up on the final season of Fox's Gotham, in which he stars as proto-Joker Jeremiah Valeska. So he'll have some free time coming up.
Suffice it to say, losing Cameron Monaghan's Ian AND Emmy Rossum's Fiona marks the beginning of a sizable adjustment for Shameless. The two characters have been integral parts of the series, and without their presence, the show is about to enter a new stage. Shameless has apparently had a lot of time to prepare for Ian's exit, though, so we know the current story unfolding is how it was all planned.
Catch Cameron Monaghan in his final (for now) episode of Shameless, the first half of Season 9 airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime. The Season 9A finale airs October 21, while the second half of Season 9 premieres January 20, 2019. The Showtime dramedy is among many shows offering new episodes at the start of fall, so stay up to date!
