Shameless child star quits acting for very different career 13 years later

The Channel 4 comedy-drama Shameless made huge stars of its cast, including James McAvoy, Anne-Marie Duff and Maxine Peake.

Following the chaotic lives of the residents of the Chatsworth Estate in Manchester, it employed a huge cast, many of whom effectively grew up on the show.

With the primary stars rising to fame faster than the show could keep up with (bye, James, Anne-Marie and Maxine!) it was left to the next generation of Gallaghers to carry the torch.

This included the likes of Debbie (played by Rebecca Ryan), Carl (twins Elliott and Luke Tittensor) and likkul Liam (Johnny Bennett).

Only eight years old when he joined the show, Johnny stayed with Shameless from 2008 until season eight, when the character left the estate to be with his mother.

While many of his fellow cast have stayed in the industry, Johnny’s now working in an entirely different field – brand partnerships manager for hospitality platform EATMCR in Manchester.

An all-grown up Johnny can be seen on his LinkedIn page, treating EATMCR’s followers to a play-by-play of a slap-up Irish meal in Manchester.

However, he hasn’t completely forgotten about his Shameless roots.

Along with Tina Malone (Mimi Maguire), Jody Latham (Lip Gallagher), Elliot and Luke Tittensor, Kelli Hollis (Yvonne Karib) and Nikita Brownlee (Stella Gallagher), Johnny appears at the meet-and-greet event A Shameless Night.

Appearing in Birmingham on November 8, the venue promises that fans can ‘get up close and personal with the stars of the multi-award winning TV favourite, Shameless.

‘A Shameless Night will feature a selection of cast members from the iconic series, hosted by Lewis Nicholls.

‘Go behind the scenes as the cast share untold stories from the making of the show, revisit unforgettable moments from the series, and answer your burning questions during a live audience Q&A.’

While Johnny seems to have stepped away from the spotlight, many of his fellow castmates – and screen siblings – continue to act today.

Most notable of Frank’s children is Anne-Marie Duff, who played Fiona, and went on to star in Sex Education, Bad Sisters and His Dark Materials.

In a case of art imitating life, Anne-Marie married co-star James McAvoy in 2006, and they welcomed one child in 2010 before their 2016 divorce.

Last year, she was awarded an OBE for her services to drama.

Jody, who played Lip, acted until 2017, appearing in ITV’s The Fixer, as well as episodes of EastEnders, Holby City and Hollyoaks.

He currently works in a family construction business as well as founding his own company selling dermal fillers and botox.

Of all Frank’s children, Ian wasn’t actually related to the man at all. Ian left the show in series seven, with actor Gerard Kearns going on to appear in The Last Kingdom, Chernobyl, and The Day of the Jackal.

He is now married and shares two children with wife Sarah.

Since leaving Shameless, Elliott and Luke Tittensor went on to play twins in the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon.

Like many of the cast, Rebecca Ryan would notch up a number of soap appearances after leaving Shameless – most notably Coronation Street, where she played the conniving Lydia Chambers.

As for Frank himself? Played by David Threlfall, Frank Gallagher wound up being the series’ constant, and appeared in every episode of the show until its end in 2013.

What kept him after so many had departed for pastures new?

‘I stayed with it because I enjoyed it,’ the actor told The Independent in 2015.

Shameless is streaming on Netflix UK now.

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