Why Jeffrey Dean Morgan Left Shameless So Quickly

Season 4 of "Shameless," which /Film ranked as the best of the series, has some of the darkest moments for the parentified older sister, Fiona (Emmy Rossum). On the night of her birthday, Fiona sleeps with her boss/boyfriend's brother, Robbie (Nick Gehlfuss). Robbie is a reckless bad boy who gives Fiona a baggie of cocaine for her party, which Fiona gladly snorts. During this raucous, self-destructive rager, her toddler brother Liam (Brendon & Brandon Sims) gets into the supply and goes unconscious. Fiona is arrested and becomes a felon after going on another bender with Robbie. It's the one time the glue of the Gallagher family comes undone.

Lip's (Jeremy Allen White) reaction is especially heartbreaking, as he is gravely disappointed and shows little mercy for her. But things start to turn around for Fiona in the finale. She ends up getting a job at the Golden House Restaurant through the benevolent owner Charlie Peters, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who helps out a lot of people who are struggling or have criminal records. Jeffrey Dean Morgan was a big star who had appeared in the epic adaptation of "Watchmen" and "Grey's Anatomy," and was clearly set up to have an arc in the next season. But "Shameless" gave viewers whiplash because by the time season 5 premiered, everything had changed. Charlie was gone, and now the restaurant was called Patsy's Pies, leaving audiences to wonder what happened.

Like many stars who appear on television, it all came down to scheduling. Jeffery Dean Morgan clarified the reason for his quick "Shameless" exit in an Instagram comment that was screenshotted on Reddit:

"Well ... obviously was supposed to join cast for a bit ... but I was in Mexico shooting 'Texas Rising' and we just couldn't work out my schedule to get back and film. Both projects tried very hard. It was a bummer because I'm a big fan of 'Shameless' and love that cast and John Wells. I get that it's super weird me just showing up ... with the seat neck tat and then disappearing. That wasn't the plan."

"Texas Rising" was a History Channel miniseries about the Texas Revolution. "Shameless," on Showtime, would have been a steadier gig, pulling in over a million viewers per episode. But "Texas Rising" ended up being an even bigger hit, drawing over 4 million viewers for its premiere and closing out with over 2 million for the finale. Jeffery Dean Morgan had already put a lot of work into his "Texas Rising" role, losing 40 pounds by eating one can of tuna per day to play Deaf Smith, who led a company of Texas Rangers and eventually succumbed to tuberculosis. 

By season 5 of "Shameless," Fiona had a brand-new manager, Sean Pierce, with whom she started a romantic relationship. Despite their age differences, Sean had past issues with addiction, which gave him a certain kinship with Fiona. However, their courtship and attempted marriage ended in disaster. It's likely that Charlie's arc would have been the same — it was just transferred onto Sean. They even explain Charlie's absence in a throwaway line during the season 5 premiere, "Milk of the Gods," where Sean says, "I may not have hired you, but I can fire you."

Jeffery Dean Morgan and Dermot Mulroney are both great actors, but it's like comparing apples to oranges. It leaves us to wonder what the differences between Charlie and Sean might've been, even if the plot trajectory remained the same. Jeffrey Dean Morgan has a rough-and-tumble attitude, while Dermot Mulroney has more sensitivity, making his character seem more emotionally wounded.

While it would've been great to see Jeffery Dean Morgan continue his role as Charlie, Dermot Mulroney was solid as Sean, and it all worked out in the end. "Shameless" wasn't the last time Jeffery Dean Morgan's busy schedule got in the way of a role; his commitments to "The Walking Dead: Dead City" didn't make it easy for creator Eric Kripke to get him in the dark superhero series "The Boys," who had to rearrange the shooting schedule to make it happen.