Dec. 11--The same question gets asked every July after the Emmy award nominations get announced: "Why does 'Shameless' continue to get overlooked?" Fans ask it. TV critics ask it. "Shameless" cast members ask it.
William H. Macy -- who plays Frank Gallagher, the father of the dysfunctional Gallagher family on the Chicago-based Showtime series -- doesn't have an answer.
"Yeah, I don't get it," Macy said Tuesday at Hubbard Inn during the launch party for Michigan Avenue magazine's Winter Issue, which features Macy on the cover. "Except I would say (the show) isn't for everybody. It's well-titled: It's shameless, it's shocking. But I think the tide has turned. We got a couple award nominations. Sometimes it takes a couple seasons. I'm proud to be in it, though."
It's come to the point where "Shameless," which films mostly in the Los Angeles area but shoots exterior scenes in Chicago, began campaigning for Emmy consideration in the comedy category rather than the drama category this year.
The move didn't succeed in earning the show a nod for outstanding comedy series, but Macy was able to land one for lead actor in the comedy category. With that he became the only actor to receive a nomination for his work on the show, other than Evanston native Joan Cusack in the guest actress category. As hard as it is for some critics to believe, Emmy Rossum has yet to be nominated for her role as Fiona Gallagher. Macy, meanwhile, lost out to Jim Parsons of "The Big Bang Theory" at the August ceremony (Cusack's nomination was her fourth for the show and she missed out all four times).
Macy tries to focus on the positives rather than the negatives. "Shameless" is entering its fifth season, with the season premiere scheduled for Jan. 11.
"Those awards shows are lovely, but that's not the test," said Macy. "The test is the audience. Our numbers grow every year. And I get a lot of, 'Yo, Frank, can I buy you a beer?' It's very gratifying. It's lovely to go get nominated for stuff. But guess what? If you get nominated, you have to go, and it's kind of not that much fun -- except when you win. That's fun."
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