Ever since the masses got their first view of William H. Macy’s portrayal of Shameless’ Frank Gallagher, he has received an awful lot of praise for his performance. On top of all the acclaim that Macy has absorbed due to his starring Shameless role, he has also made a lot of money for his work since he was paid $450,000 per episode. Of course, just because he got paid well for his contributions to the show doesn’t mean that when he agreed to star in Shameless it was an easy decision.
For actors, when it comes time for them to decided which roles to take, there are a lot of different things they have to keep in mind. First off, acting stars should read a script and talk to the people involved to figure out if they think the project will turn out well and be rewarding to be a part of. Next, actors must consider whether or not a role has the potential to make them more popular as that will help their career in the long term. Finally, there is no doubt that stars care deeply about the salaries they are offered for each project.
Since so many people stress out about money issues, it makes sense that celebrities want to make the most money they can for their work. On top of concerns for their financial picture, stars have to contend with the fact that people often find out how much money they make and compare them to their peers in that regard. For example, an awful lot has been made about how much the stars of Avengers: Endgame were paid for their contributions to that film.
A Show Like One Other
When Shameless made its television debut in 2011, a lot of fans thought the series was like no other. After all, it focused on a struggling Chicago family that is willing to break a lot of rules to get by and that is not the kind of thing you see on TV often. However, some Shameless fans tuned in specifically because it is a lot like another popular series.
Adapted from a British show of the same name, America’s Shameless shares the same DNA with the original series which was on the air from 2004 until 2013. Focused on a very similar family that lives in a poorer area of Manchester, Britain’s Shameless is an exceptionally great show, even though it went downhill over the years, just like a lot of shows do.
Star Salary
For a long time, movie stars were afraid of taking TV roles because the perception was that they were slumming it and that would hurt their career. Thankfully, most people believe that we are in a golden age of television which is why that perception has largely disappeared. On top of the fact that many TV shows are so great, part of the reason why movie stars have begun starring in shows as of late is that they get paid a lot of money. After all, on top of the fact that TV actors get paid a fortune, some of television’s most popular child stars have taken home a lot of money.
Easily among the most respected actors of his generation, William H. Macy became famous due to his stellar work in films like Fargo, Magnolia, Boogie Nights, and Pleasantville. For that reason, the people behind Shameless were overjoyed when he signed on to star as Frank Gallagher and they eventually agreed to pay him $350,000 per episode.
Co-Star Struggle
When it comes to most shows, it is abundantly clear who the main star is. However, up until Emmy Rossum decided to leave Shameless behind after its ninth season, things were a lot less clear. After all, it could be argued that Rossum’s character, Fiona Gallagher, played the most vital role in the show’s ongoing dramas and she took up a lot of screen time. On the other hand, William H. Macy’s Frank Gallagher seemed to be the character that Shameless fans talked about the most. For all of those reasons, a lot of people considered Rossum and Macy to be equally important to the show's success.
Despite the role Emmy Rossum played in Shameless’s popularity, for a long time she was paid significantly less money than Willam H, Macy was. After several years of things remaining that way, Rossum decided that had to change and she got into a pay dispute with Shameless’ producers that was taken public. To her credit, Rossum proved to be completely unwilling to give up her fight which even led to the production of the show’s eighth season being delayed. Thankfully, after a battle that seemed somewhat bitter from the outside looking in, and William H. Macy publically backing her, Rossum was given a contract that paid her the same amount as him.