Steve Howey is contemplating the idea of a Shameless reboot, and honestly, it sounds like he’s more confused about it than a cat trapped in a cucumber factory.
Now, if you’re wondering, “Who’s Steve Howey again?” (don’t worry, we all have those days), he’s the guy who played Kevin Ball, aka the loveable human teddy bear, on all 11 seasons of Shameless. Yes, he stuck around for all of them, from 2011 to 2021. That’s a lot of years of managing the chaos of the Gallagher family, side by side with the likes of William H. Macy, Jeremy Allen White, Shanola Hampton, and Emmy Rossum. That’s a full squad if I’ve ever seen one.
So, what does Steve think about diving back into the Shameless-verse? Eh, he’s not exactly throwing on his Kev wig just yet.
“I don’t know if I could even play Kev again,” he confessed to TooFab, with the kind of hesitation usually reserved for someone deciding whether to microwave week-old pizza or just let it go.
He explained his dilemma with a dramatic flair that would make Shakespeare weep: “The character that an actor plays is specific at the time when the actor is playing the character. Especially for me,” Steve said, taking us on a deep philosophical journey. He then went on to compare playing Kev to doing Romeo and Juliet in acting class, but with a twist. Apparently, each time you do it, you bring a little more emotional baggage, kind of like when you rewatch your favorite show and realize you’re relating way too much to the middle-aged characters. “What I bring as a human, as a person, will affect the choices I make on how I deliver the lines,” he waxed poetic, probably imagining Kev serving draft beer with a dash of existential dread.
But then, as if the wise Steve Howey took a bite of reality pie, he added, “You know, and listen, I never say never. A gig’s a gig.” Translation: if the check’s big enough, Kev might just dust off his bar apron and get back to slinging pints.
Outside of his Shameless musings, Steve has stayed tight with the gang. In fact, he’s practically handing out gold stars to his castmates. Take Jeremy Allen White, for example, who’s been shining like a diamond on the hit show The Bear. “I feel very proud,” Steve said, like a proud dad at a soccer game. “He’s having a moment and he deserves it,” Steve added, probably thinking, “Yep, that’s my Jeremy.”
And let’s not forget Shanola Hampton, who’s been crushing it on NBC’s Found. Steve didn’t just throw compliments her way—he practically gift-wrapped them with a bow. “Shanola has her show on NBC, and she’s worked really hard to get where she is. I just keep telling her to start a production company so she can hire me,” Steve joked, but you can bet there’s some truth in there. In fact, Steve’s so fond of Shanola, he’s ready to write her into his next will. “She’s like a guardian angel,” he gushed. “She’s my best friend, she’s very important in my life.” If this doesn’t scream “#BestiesGoals,” I don’t know what does.
Oh, and by the way, Steve and Jeremy were spotted roaming a local farmers market together on Sunday. Yep, just two brooding TV stars picking out organic veggies like it’s no big deal.
