Emma Kenney – Shameless

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

A) Well, right now I’ve been filming season four of my TV show “Shameless” since September and we wrap the season in February, but hopefully I’ll do a movie over hiatus!

Q) What is new this season on “Shameless” and with your character Debbie?

A) This season you kind of get to see everyone doing their own thing. Debbie, for one, has turned into a teenage monster and now has friends and a much older boyfriend, which is a big change from Debbie’s previous anti-social ways. Fiona now has a solid job with her new normal boyfriend, Mike, at the cup company. Frank’s liver is failing and he is dying. So, Carl is trying to save his life. Veronica gets pregnant so Kev and her are worried and preoccupied with that. Lip is not doing too well at college, but he is there, which is good. Ian is AWOL and Mickey’s pretty upset about that and his girlfriend is pregnant with his baby. Mandy’s trying to get over Lip by dating a new guy named Kenyatta.

Q) What originally made you want to be a part of the show?

A) I think it was just the chaos of the Gallaghers and the show in general. Something is always happening with the massive family and I am an only child. So, it is nice to get to experience sibling rivalry and big family business. I also love that this show is so shocking. I can honestly say that there is no other show on TV right now that’s anything slightly similar to “Shameless.”

Q) What do you continue to find challenging about portraying Debbie?

A) I have trouble sometimes being able to portray someone who is growing up, but not REALLY growing up. She kind of forces herself to date and do that stuff while she is still not grown up in the sense that she still feels emotionally unstable, if that makes sense. She still doesn’t know how to deal with her family drama and I don’t think she ever will be able to.

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

A) I don’t think that there was a specific character trait or emotion that I added to Debbie because I pretty much created her, as does every single actor with a role. The script says what to do and what to say, but if you just do it and say it with no emotion you are not acting – you’re reciting. For me, at least, every day I learn something new about Debbie or change something a little to make it a bit more interesting and truthful.

Q) Did you always know that Debbie was going to hit a rebellious stage since she is a Gallagher?

A) Honestly, up until the middle of Season 3, I thought Debbie was going to stay on the straight and narrow. Obviously, after filming this season, that hasn’t happened at all. But I like the character change in Debbie. It’s so much more fun to play and a lot more interesting, I think. I don’t think being a Gallagher has to do with her hitting the rebellious stage because, honestly, all teenagers go through a rebellious stage and that’s just life and it’s just Debbie living it.

Q) Debbie has such a close relationship with Fiona. What is your relationship like offscreen with your costar Emmy Rossum?

A) Actually, this season Debbie strays away from Fiona. So, most scenes you see between them this season are them fighting. It’s not that Debbie doesn’t like or love Fiona, it’s just that she’s growing up and lashing out, as does every teen to their parental figures. But Emmy is so fun to hang out with on set.

Q) What have been some of your most memorable moments from filming Season 4?

A) Probably filming in Chicago! That’s my favorite city in the USA and we honestly have so much fun filming in Chicago. It’s like a massive slumber party at the hotel in Chicago, too!

Q) What do you think it is about “Shameless” that has made it a fan favorite program?

A) I think it’s a very relatable show, even though it’s also extremely unrelatable. No, most people probably haven’t done half of the things that the Gallaghers have done, but desperatetimes call for desperate measures. So, we can’t really be judging them. But I think it’s relatable because each character has something that makes them special. And I feel like people see something in Veronica, Debbie, Lip or whoever they see in them selves or someone that they know. It also is so crazy and out there and I think people like watching the dysfunction functioning.

Q) You are a part of the social networking site Twitter. Do you enjoy the instant feedback you get from fans after episodes? Also, why is it important for you to interact with your fans?

A) Yes, I love Twitter and Instragram, but I post too much! Haha! Yes, I do like hearing their feedback because they are the people we make the show for. So, it’s nice to hear what they liked about the episode or whatever and what they didn’t like. I think it’s important to talk to them because they are the people who give me and the cast all of this. Without them we wouldn’t be nearly as blessed to work on such a fun show. So, I like to thank them and I love talking to them, too!

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

A) Thank you so much for supporting me and the show because you all honestly changed my life forever. “Shameless” and all my supporters are probably one of the best things that has ever happened to me in my life. So, thank you so so much!