‘Shameless’ Season 7 Updates: Emmy Rossum Gets Directorial Debut; Series Adds Sharon Lawrence of ‘NYPD Blue’ in Recurring Role

‘Shameless’ season 7 is set to feature the return of Emmy Rossum as Fiona. She will also be getting her directorial debut for episode four. Meanwhile, Sharon Lawrence of ‘NYPD Blue’ fame was cast in a recurring role for the incoming season.

According to TV Series Finale, Rossum will not only return to reprise her role as main character Fiona Gallagher but she is set to work behind-the-scenes for season 7’s fourth episode in her directorial debut. Season 7 is scheduled to premiere on Showtime on October 2 while its fourth episode is slated for October 23.

The 29-year old actress and singer-songwriter confirmed the news on her Instagram page by posting a screenshot of a report with the caption, “It’s official.”

Rossum plays Fiona, the eldest of the Gallagher children burdened with child-rearing responsibilities over her other siblings following their mother’s absence and their father’s neglect. The character was first introduced in season 1 as a responsible woman in her early twenties who works dead-end minimum wage jobs to make ends meet and has a bad case of insecurity especially when it comes to men despite having a wild streak.

Joining Rossum for season 7 are co-stars William H. Macy, Ethan Cutkosky, Shanola Hampton, Steve Howey, Emma Kenney, Cameron Monaghan, and Jeremy Allen White. Macy play’s Rossum’s on-screen father Frank. Macy was also given the opportunity to direct an episode on the series, entitled "Tell Me You F—ing Need Me."

During a previous interview, the multi-award winning actor admitted, "It's an odd job directing television because you're not the king of the hill; you're not an auteur the way you are in film. Other people do a lot of the work; it's very collaborative; you're one part of a big machine, and you're not the last word… It's the hardest thing I've ever done!"

Meanwhile, ‘NYPD Blue’ alum Sharon Lawrence is joining the cast for the incoming season as a character named Margo, who becomes a role model to Fiona. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Margo is a self-made real estate bigwig and business tycoon who happens to own the coffee shop Fiona works in. Margo is set to appear in multiple episodes as a recurring character.

‘Shameless’ is am American comedy-drama television series intended as a remake of the British series of the same name. It was developed by John Wells for Showtime. It follows the dysfunctional Gallagher family whose patriarch is a negligent drunk.