Shameless: Why The Original Sheila Actress Was Recast After The Pilot

Showtime’sShameless cast has people who’ve been around since the beginning, but interestingly, Allison Janney – not Joan Cusack – originally played fan-favorite character Sheila. Based on the U.K. series of the same name, Shameless follows on the Gallagher family, led by oldest sibling Fiona (Emmy Rossum) and drug addict father Frank (William H. Macy). There has been a large rotating cast of successful supporting characters on Shameless, which included Frank’s agoraphobic love interest, Sheila, for the first five seasons.

Both strong-willed and lovably naïve, Sheila was a ray of optimism in the show’s early seasons. The mother of oldest son Lip’s (Jeremy Allen White) girlfriend, Karen, she and Macy’s Frank inexplicably fell in love. When he moved into her pristine home, Frank upended her life in the process. Sheila was last seen leaving Chicago in her RV after Frank blew up her home in a brewing accident in season 5. Cusack won over Shameless fans throughout those first few seasons. She brought a maternal energy that was equal parts caring, vulnerable, and resilient. Her chemistry with William H. Macy was powerful enough that audiences believed Sheila might actually be able to redeem Frank. The thing is, Cusack didn’t appear in the original Shameless pilot.

Allison Janney was originally cast as Sheila in Shameless. At the time, Janney was recognizable for her longstanding role on The West Wing and her hilarious performance as Ms. Perky in 1999’s 10 Things I Hate About You. When Janney filmed the Shameless pilot, Sheila was very much a supporting role. That allowed time in Janney’s schedule for another recurring gig alongside Matthew Perry on ABC’s Mr. Sunshine. When the producers of Shameless decided to give Sheila a larger role in the South Side escapades, Janney had to choose between the two projects. Her commitment to Mr. Sunshine won out. Cusack, who grew up just north of Chicago, stepped in to fill the part.

Given her original casting, Janney obviously brought something special to Sheila. That’s no surprise; Janney is a powerful dramatic actor, and she’s equally great in comedic roles. There’s no question, though, that Cusack gave something to the character that no one else could. Sheila was the sweet, stable center of Frank’s world. She brought Sheila’s arc to life with vibrancy and charm. Janney would have done something just as unique, but there’s a harder edge to the actress that would have changed Sheila’s role as the only shining smile in Shameless.

Unfortunately for Janney, Mr. Sunshine was canceled in its first season. That may have been a blessing in retrospect; Janney went on to win two Emmys for her role in sitcom Mom and, in 2018, an Academy Award for her work in the biopic I, Tonya. There’s no doubt that Janney and Cusack are both powerful actors, capable of pathos and charm. No matter what Janney brought to Shameless, it would have been a different show with her as Sheila. In the end, Cusack was the right choice for the character. Her motherly warmth and believable vulnerability gave Shameless the light touch that it desperately needed.

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