Arguably one of the most unique shows on television today, the American version of Shameless has aired nine seasons at the time of this airing and is set to return in the future. Throughout the show’s many episodes, it is very safe to say that some truly incredible things have taken place.

Due to how out of control the events that unfold on Shameless tend to be, there is no way that anything that goes on behind the cameras could ever compete. However, there is no doubt that some of the things that relate to the show’s production are pretty fascinating. With that in mind, it is time to take a look at this list of 15 amazing behind-the-scenes facts about the American version of Shameless.

15 Hitting Too Close to Home

During her time as one of Shameless’ main stars, actor Emmy Rossum had to play a character who found herself in a wide array of intense situations. For example, several seasons in Fiona Gallagher had to deal with the passing of her mother. Unfortunately, portraying those emotions must have felt too close to home for Rossum as her real-life grandmother passed away the week those scenes were filmed.

14 The Original Plan For Jimmy’s Final Fate

At the end of Shameless’ third season, many of the show’s fans and people involved with the series thought that Jimmy would never be seen again. In fact, a fake Jimmy head was created so they could shoot a sequence in which Jimmy met a brutal and gory end. However, that scene was cut because people involved with the show felt it went too far which allowed Jimmy to return the following year.

13 Fiona’s Intended Look

As most Shameless fans would agree, the people behind the series hit the jackpot when they cast the incredibly talented actor Emmy Rossum as Fiona Gallagher. Remarkable enough, however, before they cast her in the role, the plan was to have Fiona look overweight and be blonde. Given how completely Rossum has embodied the role, it is hard to imagine the character looking any different.

12 A Tale of Two Mandys

Considering how competitive the acting industry is, it almost seems unfathomable that an actor would give up a notable role in a popular TV series. Despite that, Jane Levy, the actor who played Mandy Milkovich during Shameless’ first season, quit the series in order to star in the short-lived sitcom Suburgatory. Thankfully, Emma Greenwell was hired to take over playing Mandy and she was spectacular.

11 Emmy Rossum’s Serious Pay Dispute

Due to the fact that William H. Macy was so famous when Shameless debuted, it made sense that he was paid more than his co-stars at first. However, it didn’t take long for Emmy Rossum to become a key factor in the show’s success. Sadly, she still had to fight tooth and nail to get paid the same amount as Macy, despite his support, and her battle was so prolonged that season 8’s production was delayed.

10 The Real Gallagher Home

If you have ever found yourself thinking that the Gallagher family's world feels really genuine, one of the main reasons that is the case is that many of the show’s exteriors are shot at real locations. For instance, there is a real abode in Chicago’s south side that stands in for the outside of the Gallagher home. Actually, the owner of the home sometimes puts a bucket on his porch for visitor donations.

9 Shameless is Set to Become the Longest Running Series in Showtime History

In some ways, it currently feels like Shameless is entering into unsure times since lead actors Emmy Rossum and Cameron Monaghan left the show in the last year. However, in reality, the series still is a big enough ratings draw for its network that by the time its upcoming tenth season comes to an end it will be the longest running series in Showtime history.

8 Scripts Not Allowed

In this day and age, it is far from unusual to find out that major movie and TV productions have banned cell phones on set. For example, Shameless employees can’t carry those devices while they work. On top of that, the show’s cast aren’t allowed to bring scripts on set. According to those involved, that rule exists to make sure the actors know their lines already.

7 All the Scenes Inside the Gallagher House are Shot on a Set

Earlier in this list, we looked at the fact that all exterior shots of the Gallagher house are images that were filmed around a real-life abode. If that made you think that the scenes that take place inside that house are shot in the same location, that simply isn’t the case. Instead, the show uses a set that was built in Los Angeles for all of those moments.

6 Real-Life Romance

If you ask us, Mandy Milkovich became a much more compelling character when Emma Greenwell took over the role because she had so much chemistry with the actor who plays Lip. The most likely reason for that is that Greenwell dated Lip’s actor Jeremy Allen White for 6 years. Strangely enough, Ruby Modine who played another romantic interest of Lip’s dated one of her Shameless co-stars too, Cameron Monaghan who played Ian Gallagher.

5 The Actors’ Roles Behind the Camera

In addition to totally immersing themselves into playing their characters, Shameless’ two main stars also have taken on more active roles behind the camera in the past. Evidently, not content with being marvelous actors alone, Emmy Rossum directed two Shameless episodes and William H. Macy helmed two as well, on top of penning the scripts for two different installments.

4 Sheila Recast

As one of the best actors of her generation, it was a major coup for the producers of Shameless that they were able to cast Joan Cusack as one of their show’s main characters during the first five seasons. Amazingly enough, she wasn’t the first incredible actor to play that role, as Alison Janey played Sheila during the filming of the show’s pilot.

3 The Creator of the Original Show Almost Said No to This Adaptation

Since America’s version of Shameless is based on a UK series, that show’s creator Paul Abbott had to allow it to be made. When he was approached, he assumed it would take place in the south or a trailer park and intended to say no for that reason. However, he cares about portraying the poverty that happens in cities so he gave his blessing to the series that takes place in Chicago.

2 Smelly Kisses

When it comes time for actors to film intimate scenes together, it often can become quite awkward. For that reason, Justin Chatwin and Emmy Rossum could have felt weird when they shot several sequences of that nature on Shameless’ set. However, Chatwin was a prankster so he broke the tension by always eating smelly foods like tuna those days in order to mess with Rossum.

1 The Original Frank

If things worked out the way they originally were planned, William H. Macy’s version of Frank Gallagher never would have existed as Woody Harrelson initially signed on to play the character. In fact, he was committed enough to the series that the only reason he left the role was the pilot’s production kept getting pushed back and when it came time to film he was busy working on Zombieland.

Sources: screenrant.com, people.com, imdb.com, variety.com, eonline.com