Paul Sarkis/©Showtime/courtesy Everett Collection
Just weeks after Emmy Rossum announced that she was leaving Shameless after the show’s ninth season, it has been revealed she isn’t the only Gallagher departing.
Shameless star Cameron Monaghan, who plays Ian Gallagher, has announced that season nine will also be his last, but his character’s last episode is coming very quickly.
“I have been a series regular on this show for roughly ten years,” he wrote in an emotional Instagram post. “I was the tender age of fifteen when we shot the pilot, and I came of age in so many ways, both legally and personally. I was very lucky to mature and grow with this show. Experiencing so many firsts, maturing as an actor, a professional, and a human. In the process gaining friends, family, and the best coworkers a very lucky actor could ask for, and for this I can be nothing but gracious.”
He continued, “All good things come to an end. An old cliche, but one that rings true with a sincerity and clarity especially in moments like these. Everything ends.”
“The next episode will be my last. I have known since last year, but I didn’t want to give it away too early as I wanted this season to be a surprise for the audience, allowing them to experience Ian’s unsure journey with his character. This role has been a joy to inhabit, a wild and special ride, and I’d like to thank #Shameless as well as you, the viewers, for being there with him.
Goodbye, Ian Clayton Gallagher. We’ll meet again?”
His character’s exit has been framed with his character being sent to jail in the most recent episode.
When he’s not playing the third eldest Gallagher child, Monaghan has kept busy on Fox’s Gotham, memorably starring as Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska, brothers bearing a strong resemblance to the Joker.
Shameless airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime.