'Shameless' Reveals Star Additions to the Cast Ahead of Season 9 Premier

Exciting news broke out today for Shameless fans as it has been revealed that two famous faces shall be added to the cast to shake things up. Since the first six seasons of the Showtime comedy was added to the streaming service Netflix, the Shameless fandom experienced the familiar 'Netflix boom' in viewers that resulted in a demand for more from shows.

Season Nine is set to premiere this Autumn on Showtime, the familiar cast that makes up the extensive Gallagher clan shall be joined by Katey Sagal and Courteney Cox. Emmy Rossum, Shameless south-side leading lady Fiona Gallagher, shared the news on her Instagram, describing the newcomers as two 'wonderful talented powerhouse females'.

Katey Sagal shall be joining as recurring character Ingrid Jones, described as a crazed psych patient that Frank (William H. Macy) encounters in the E.R., and with whom he is immediately smitten. From this description, we can make two predictions about the nature of this new character. Firstly, it sounds hopeful that Sagal's character could be a new Sheila Jackson (Joan Cusack). Sheila was a main character on the show, until her departure in season five when she defied her previous agoraphobic tendencies left to fulfill her dream of seeing the world. Secondly, Ingrid Jones could possibly be a new version of Monica, Franks recently deceased wife, and mother to all six Gallagher children. Katey Sagal and William H. Macy as partners-in-crime would be an exciting venture to play out on screen for sure.

Katey Sagal won the Golden Globe for best actress for her role as Gemma Teller Morrow on Sons of Anarchy in 2011 and is further recognized for her role as Peg Bundy on Fox’s Married With Children, which ran for a decade from 1987.

Courteney Cox will also be joining Shameless as Jen Wagner, a famous actress who’s had a problem in the past with booze. Though initially, the audience would think she could encounter Frank, Cox shall be working closely with Jeremy Allen White, who plays Phillip ‘Lip’ Gallagher, during her guest star stint.

As we saw in season six, Frank’s eldest son began to take after his father and developed issues with alcohol which brought him back to the south-side from college. His arc in season eight was focused on his sobriety, this coming season he is hired as Jen Wagner’s sober companion when she’s in town, and she takes him on a wild ride in search of a cocktail.

Cox starred as Monica Geller on NBC’s Friends from 1994 to 2004. In 2010, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role as Jules Cobb on Cougar Town.

Since the departure of many of the show’s original characters over the previous years, the show has been unable to introduce anyone new and permanent that has become a firm favorite with the audience. The departed main characters include Karen and Sheila Jackson, and the Milkovich clan led by siblings Mandy and Mickey. In addition to this, the show has killed off two long-term recurring characters, Monica Gallagher and Professor Youens. Though in recent seasons the younger Gallaghers have grown into young adults leading their own separate storylines, new characters in the mix should freshen up the supporting cast.

It is likely both actresses shall appear in the first half of the upcoming ninth season. Showtime has expanded Shameless to a 14-episode order that will air in two parts—this autumn and in winter 2019. A different format from the previous eight seasons, all of which only had twelve episodes. The first seven episodes will begin airing on Sunday, September 9 at 9 p.m., with a midseason finale on Sunday, Oct. 21 at 9 PM. The second half of season nine will premiere on Sunday, January 20, 2019 at 9 PM.