For half their lives, Emma Kenney and Ethan Cutkosky have been Gallaghers.
“Shamelessis always going to be our baby.”
It’s very different filming now, quarantine-wise, with the pandemic.
Paul Sarkis/SHOWTIME
So I think when we were there that night, there was so much emotion and energy going on.
So it was nice knowing we were all on the same page.
But the whole season was its own last hurrah, as opposed to the last night.
Sonja Flemming/Showtime
KENNEY:[Laughs] The last time we’ll ever see each other?
CUTKOSKY:I’m never seeing Emma again.
We’re like, “We have eight more episodes, relax!”
Paul Sarkis/SHOWTIME
Going all the way back to the beginning, what is your first memory ofShamelesscoming into your life?
CUTKOSKY:I want to bring up a set school memory.
This is when Emma and I really started becoming brother and sister.
Paul Sarkis/SHOWTIME
KENNEY:[Laughs] Ethan!
Where is this coming from?!
KENNEY:We would get into it when we were young.
Myles Aronowitz/Starz
And now we’re the same age and he’s taller.
And he was like, “What have you been in?”
[Laughs] And that was the beginning of many, many, many memories.
CUTKOSKY:I think a good amount of it went over our heads.
and I’d be like, “I think?”
It isShameless, so there are plenty to pick from.
Like for Debbie, I still get queasy just thinking about Frank cutting off her toes.
KENNEY:That was one of the least traumatizing story lines I had to do.
CUTKOSKY:Honestly, I think all the story lines that Carl had as a kid.
He had a lot of outrageous stuff after he got back from jail.
Obviously any performer is only going to get better the more they do it.
That started to become a conscious objective for me.
KENNEY:“Crazy.”
CUTKOSKY:I’d say we’re a lot closer than Carl and Debbie appear on screen.
So I would say our relationship goes pretty heavy.
KENNEY:[Laughs] Goes hard!
When did you realize thatShamelesshad really become a huge thing?
It feels like going on Netflix took it to the next level popularity-wise.
KENNEY:Probably when we would go film in Chicago.
That was pretty crazy.
Do you remember that, Ethan?
And you tried to like pull them off.
CUTKOSKY:Then she threatened to beat me up and I said, “I’m sorry.”
KENNEY:Oh, really?!
You’re a year older than me in school, three weeks younger than me in age.
KENNEY:It’s just a cutoff thing!
CUTKOSKY:We’re both from pretty small towns compared to L.A. KENNEY:The fact that it was Chicago, people in Chicago loveShamelessmore than other cities do.
It’s amazing to feel the love.
What was your reaction when you heard the show was coming to an end?
CUTKOSKY:I feel like it was a good 50-50.
KENNEY:Eleven years is a really long time, and we aresograteful and lucky that we had that.
Just kidding, times 11!
KENNEY:Literally, same.
KENNEY:Would you ever get a phone call while you were in class?
And then you just go back to lunch.
CUTKOSKY:I never had that.
[Laughs]
What will you miss about Carl and Debbie?
These are characters you’ve played more than half your lives.
KENNEY:I’ll miss Debbie’s hustle.
So probably that, her ambition, her relationship with Franny.
CUTKOSKY:I’m definitely going to miss the evolution of Carl.
Without giving anything away, how would you tease what fans can expect from the last few episodes?
KENNEY:I’m like, should we tell him the spoiler?!
CUTKOSKY:I wouldn’t say expect “Oh, this is it!”
KENNEY:I agree with what Ethan said.
It’s always going to be so special and home.
It was a total team affair.
KENNEY:Who knows?
That will be really fun.
I will say there is another role I’d love to see you revive, Ethan.
When they hired you, did they say if it was something they might revisit?
I know they are pretty secretive over atPower.
CUTKOSKY:I haven’t heard anything personally from them.
They seemed like a great family.
KENNEY:It was so cool that you did that.
Where did you guys shoot?
CUTKOSKY:That was New York for literally one day.
KENNEY:You always go to New York to film.
I always say that certain actors always film in one spot.
Maybe Ethan will get the Tommy prequel going and bring you into thePoweruniverse.
CUTKOSKY:Brother and sister onPower!
Do the casting people realize what they’re doing when they bring you two in?
KENNEY:Maybe they’ve got some weird, twisted minds.
[Laughs]
Shamelessairs Sundays at 9 p.m.
