'Shameless' season 8 news: Emmy Rossum confirmed to return after settling salary dispute; William H. Macy expresses support for co-star
After a recent salary dispute, "Shameless" actress Emmy Rossum finally resolved her contract and is now confirmed to return for the Showtime dramedy's upcoming season 8.
In a Twitter post last Wednesday, Rossum shared the good news to her fans, saying: "Playing Fiona Gallagher has been one of the great privileges of my life. I'm so happy to continue w my SHAMELESS family!Back to work in May!"
It was reported earlier this week that leading lady Rossum had been seeking salary parity with her costar William H. Macy. Rossum's camp allegedly argued that the actress, who has been a series regular since the show's 2011 debut, should be paid more than Macy to make up for the seven seasons in which she earned a considerably less amount compared to the veteran star.
TMZ recently caught up with Macy, and the actor expressed his full support for his co-star. "She works as hard as I do," he said. "She deserves everything." The 66-year-old also took the chance to share his thoughts on the Equal Rights Amendment. "They wrote the Equal Rights Amendment in 1927, it didn't get passed by both houses of Congress until 1972," he added. "It still hasn't been approved by all the states. It's about f------ time, don't you think?"
At the time "Shameless" was launched, Macy was more well-known than Rossum even though she has starred in notable films like "Phantom of the Opera" and "The Day After Tomorrow." Rossum was nominated for a Golden Globe, while Macy had already won multiple Emmy awards, along with SAG and Golden Globe nominations.
Terms of Rossum's new deal with the network were not disclosed, but Macy recently settled a new deal for the show's possible season 8. Reports say that it is the same deal that is now being offered to the actress, paving the way for her return as the series' quasi-matriarch Fiona Gallagher.
Showtime has yet to renew the series for another run, but the current season is scheduled to wrap up on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 9 p.m. ET.