Danika Yarosh – Shameless

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) I have Season Five of “Shameless” airing right now. I also shot an episode of “Law and Order: SVU,” which aired this past week. I’ll be going back in April to film another episode for that.

Q) How was your character, Holly, on “Shameless” originally described to you?

A) When I originally auditioned for “Shameless,” she was described as this experienced fifteen year old who is kind of helping Debbie (Emma Kenney) transition to the adult world, but they weren’t really friends.

Q) Was there anything you added to the character that wasn’t originally scripted for you?

A) I don’t think I necessarily added things that weren’t scripted. When I read a script, I naturally come up with these characters and bring them to life. They already have these qualities to them that I just pick up on. So, I kind of expand on what I read. In the script, there wasn’t so much sass, but I am bringing the words to life.

Q) What made you want to be a part of the show?

A) When I was reading the script, I thought it was absolute gold. It’s kind of humorous and out there, but not out there in too far a way. There is truth to the situations that I do really like. These characters don’t have this perfect life, which usually with TV a lot of the characters come off as unattainable.

Q) There is such an adult content to this show. Was that something you were nervous about before taking on the role?

A) I wasn’t because it is acting. It’s not who I am. It’s not who the rest of the case is either.

Q) What does Holly see in Debbie that makes her want to be her mentor?

A) Holly thinks she is all that and I think she would like to see Debbie become more like her. But I don’t think she does this out of the goodness of her heart because she is not that type of person.

Q) When you first began working with Emma did you become fast friends or did you spend some time to bond?

A) When we first met each other, we kind of became instant best friends. We realized we had so much in common. We’re both from New Jersey, about half an hour from each other. We like the same boots. We share the same favorite TV shows. We bonded really quickly and started hanging out a lot off set. We became best friends.

Q) You are a part of social media. Are you enjoying the instant fan feedback you receive when episodes air?

A) Absolutely! We have great fans so they are always tweeting us during the episodes about what they liked and what they thought of the episodes. I love that! It’s always so much fun to hear what they think.

Q) What have been some of your most memorable moments from filming “Shameless?”

A) My most memorable moments were probably off set when we went to Chicago. Emma and I got to walk around the city and go shopping. We went to the Navy Pier and hung out there for a bit. We got deep dish pizza. It was such a fun time!

Q)  What do you think it is about the show that has made it such a fan favorite program?

A) The characters! They are so great. There are a lot of them, but it is very close knit. The characters let the fans in and you get really attached to them. I think that is so important.

Q) Is there anything else you want to be sure to share with fans about this season of “Shameless?”

A) I can just say is that this season is going to be really good! This is probably one of my favorites.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I would say thank you so much for supporting me. It means the world that you enjoy my work. It, honestly, truly does. I’m so happy that you like what I am doing!