Emma Kenney was cast as Debbie Gallagher in Showtime's Shameless when she was only 11 years old, and ever since then, fans of the award-winning series have gotten to see her grow up into a talented and beautiful actress.
Debbie is one of Shameless' most controversial and disliked characters, but critics and viewers alike admit that their hatred towards Frank Gallagher's youngest daughter is a testament to how well Emma plays the role. While the Gallagher family often opts to take shortcuts in life and do as little as possible to get by, Emma has been working hard to earn her place in Hollywood for over a decade and barely resembles Debbie in real life. These fascinating facts about Emma Kenney will undoubtedly change everyone's minds about her.
20 She Started Acting At Age 5
When Emma's parents introduced their toddler to a variety of hobbies and sports such as soccer, ice skating, and gymnastics, they all failed to grab her attention. They then encouraged her to try acting, putting her in improvisational classes at the age of five. Emma instantly had a knack for drama and demonstrated natural talent which led to her getting discovered very quickly.
19 Emma Is Also A Writer And Director
Emma is primarily known for her acting ability, but she's actually a talented and experienced writer, director and producer as well.
As a child, she was regularly invited to play parts in student films at New York University, and got to learn the basics of directing and how movies are produced. She took a keen interest in the filmmaking process, and has now written more than 50 short-film scripts and directed around 20 of them.
18 She Has Several Career Goals That Aren't In The Entertainment Industry
Emma's acting career is still going strong and she has plans to do more behind-the-camera work, but several of her career aspirations may take her out of the entertainment industry entirely in the future. Her long-term ambitions include being a detective or running an animal shelter, and she also hopes to attend college.
"So many options, so little time," she told Backstage.
17 Emma Used To Have A Crush On Her Onscreen Brother
When Shameless first started filming in 2010, Emma actually had a big crush on Jeremy Allen White, who plays her older brother Lip on the show. She admitted in a 2014 interview that she could barely speak to him without blushing, which undoubtedly made scenes between the two Gallagher siblings difficult to film.
16 The Gallaghers Aren't Her Only Dysfunctional TV Family
Emma Kenney is best known for being a member of William H. Macy's chaotic clan on Shameless, but the Gallaghers aren't her only dysfunctional onscreen family. In 2018, she appeared in the Roseanne revival series as the titular character's granddaughter, Harris Conner-Healy. The revival was canceled after one season, but when a spin-off called The Conners was created, she was invited back as a series regular to reprise her role.
15 She's A Pescatarian
Emma hates the idea of eating animals, and has said in several interviews that she'd be completely vegan if not for the anemia which makes it difficult for her to keep her iron levels up. That's why she's a pescatarian, or someone who refrains from eating most meat but still eats fish.
14 Emma Embraces The Fact That Everyone Hates Debbie
Emma Kenney isn't oblivious to the fact that many Shameless fans absolutely loathe Debbie, and has admitted that she occasionally feels the same way. Making Debbie the most annoying teen on TV is something she was actually aiming for, and she once proudly posed in front of a sidewalk chalk message which stated "Debbie Gallagher the worst character on Shameless."
13 She's Entirely Self-Motivated
Many child stars are forced into show business by their parents, but Emma's parents actually had no experience with the entertainment industry and simply allowed their daughter to pursue her own dreams. Emma believes that not having typical stage parents was a major factor in her continued love for acting throughout her childhood.
"If you put pressure on your kids to book every audition, they won't enjoy it anymore, and they won't book it either," she told Backstage. "Also, if they don't want to go to an audition, they shouldn't be forced to go. They have to want to do it."
12 She's Been Treated For Anxiety And Depression
In 2018, Emma entered treatment to help her with anxiety and depression, among other undisclosed substance use.
"I was running with a really fast crowd. I was being naive and very immature, and I was doing things I should not be doing because it was illegal and I’m not 21. It wasn’t healthy, and it was making me feel even worse," she admitted in a statement. "It was just a slippery slope that I did not want to go down. And I knew that I needed to stop it."
11 Stress Forced Her To Take A Break From Social Media
While Emma was trying to focus on becoming "the healthiest, best Emma that I can be", she told her numerous fans on Twitter that she was going to be taking a much-needed break from social media.
"Hello & goodbye (for a bit). I've decided to take a break from social media and LA for a minute," she tweeted. "This sounds so cliche but this town/industry can really get to you. Going to re-find my peace happiness."
10 Emma Wants Her Fans To Know That It's Okay To Seek Help
Treatment and distance from social media proved to be exactly what Emma needed to find happiness again, and she hopes fans will take similar steps to seek help when it's needed.
"I just want to send a message to my fans saying that it’s OK to admit that you need help, and it doesn't make you weak," she said in a statement. "I’m going to come out on the other side, the True Emma that I’ve always been."
9 She Didn't Watch Roseanne Until She Auditioned For The Spinoff
In a Good Morning America interview promoting Roseanne in 2018, Emma admitted that she wasn't exactly a fan of the original show prior to getting cast in its revival.
"It's kind of an interesting experience because literally, the show ended in 1997 and I was born in '99, so it's kind of funny," she said. "My character was technically born two years before I was even born but she's supposed to be 16, two years younger than me."
In order to prepare for her role as Harris Conner-Healy, she binge-watched the original series.
8 Her Goal Is To Spread Positivity To Viewers
Debbie Gallagher may not be a fan-favorite on Shameless, but Emma believes that if one viewer is able to connect to Debbie and find happiness in her take on the role, it'll all be worth it.
"I think if I can spread positivity and realness to even one person, I’d feel good! I like to promote realness and I love being on such real shows that we don’t get our hair blown out and a full face of makeup on," she told Medium. "I like to play a REAL young teenager girl with real struggles because it feels so much more authentic and true for young people to look up to."
7 She Went To School On The East Coast While Filming In Los Angeles
When Emma first started filming Shameless, she had to balance a busy acting career on the West Coast with her education in New Jersey. Luckily, she managed to maintain a fairly normal childhood, and was able to attend her local public school from November to July while the Showtime series was on hiatus.
Once Shameless was in session, an on-set tutor helped keep her on track academically. Things became easier for Emma when she was 15, because she moved to California and didn't have to travel across coasts as often.
6 Emma's Shameless Co-Stars Serve As Huge Inspirations To Her
Emma has cited several different inspirations in the entertainment industry over the years, but in an interview with Medium, she admitted that some of her greatest role models are her Shameless co-stars.
"I’ve grown up with my “Shameless” cast and we have all gone through so much together. I see the way they all handle certain situations and just look to them all in admiration in many different ways."
She went on to individually praise her fellow Gallaghers, saying she admires William H. Macy’s humbleness, Emmy Rossum’s strength, Jeremy Allen White’s compassion, Cameron Monaghan’s drive and Ethan Cutkosky’s groundedness.
5 She Isn't Fixated On Her Weight Like Many Hollywood Teenagers
Even though viewers who dislike Debbie Gallagher make frequent cruel jabs at Emma's weight and figure, she refuses to let that affect her self-image. She's lost noticeable weight over the years on Shameless, but she told Issue that, unlike many teenage stars who are constantly stressing over their appearance, she doesn't even own a scale and has no idea how much she weighs.
4 She Doesn't Actually Have Much In Common With Debbie Gallagher
Some stars are able to bring elements of their real-life personality and experiences to their roles, but Emma and Debbie Gallagher are so different that she doesn't really have anything she can draw from for the controversial character.
She once told Medium, "The fact Debbie and I both have human emotions is the only real similarity."
3 Emma Broke A Film Festival Record At Age 8
One of the first short films Emma directed, The New Girl in Town, was nominated for the New Jersey International Film Festival at Rutgers University. The four-minute-long film featured her friends as the actors, and was so well-received that it became a finalist at the festival.
This was particularly impressive considering she was only eight years old at the time, making her the youngest film director to have ever had a film make the 14-year-old festival’s finals.
2 She Wasn't Actually Exposed To Shameless' PG-13 Content
Fans don't have to be worried about whether or not Shameless forced Emma to grow up too fast, because it turns out, her parents and the people behind the PG-13 Showtime series made sure she wasn't actually exposed to most of its adult content.
In a 2016 interview with Amplify, Emma explained that they'd "have closed sets for inappropriate scenes," and would shield her from nudity by using marks for her to look at.
1 She's A Proud PETA Spokesperson
Even though Emma is a pescatarian and not a vegan, she's a proud spokesperson for PETA and actively tries to educate others on the unfortunate realities which a variety of animals are dealing with today. She urges people not to wear fur and, as a staunch supporter of companion-animal adoption, often hashtags #AdoptDontShop on social media.