Cameron Monaghan Announces Leave From Showtime’s ‘Shameless’

Showtime’s popular series Shameless has lost yet another member of the Gallagher family.

After nine seasons of portraying Ian Gallagher, a gay, bipolar teenager living in the south side of Chicago with his chaotic family of seven, Cameron Monaghan has announced the next episode to air will be his last appearance on the show.

After growing to love Monaghan’s character through his struggles, challenges, and romances, fans were shocked at the unexpected announcement. The news took place only one month following the announcement of Emmy Rossum’s departure, who plays his tough older sister, Fiona Gallagher.

 

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I have been a series regular on this show for roughly ten years. I was the tender age of fifteen when we shot the pilot, and I came of age in so many ways, both legally and personally. I was very lucky to mature and grow with this show. Experiencing so many firsts, maturing as an actor, a professional, and a human. In the process gaining friends, family, and the best coworkers a very lucky actor could ask for, and for this I can be nothing but gracious. All good things come to an end. An old cliche, but one that rings true with a sincerity and clarity especially in moments like these. Everything ends. The next episode will be my last. I have known since last year, but I didn’t want to give it away too early as I wanted this season to be a surprise for the audience, allowing them to experience Ian’s unsure journey with his character. This role has been a joy to inhabit, a wild and special ride, and I’d like to thank #Shameless as well as you, the viewers, for being there with him. Goodbye, Ian Clayton Gallagher. We’ll meet again?

A post shared by Cameron Monaghan (@cameronmonaghan) on Oct 8, 2018 at 1:24pm PDT

The actor took to social media to express his gratitude for the time spent on the show, and the growth it has provided him over the past ten years. His last episode will air this upcoming Sunday, October 14th, on Showtime.

While the news is disheartening, Cameron Monaghan will undoubtedly continue to do great things. Just as the 22-year-old cryptically ended his Instagram caption, hopefully Ian Gallagher and fans will meet again.