Cameron Monaghan revealed he’s leaving the long-running Showtime comedy Shameless on Monday — just a little over a month after the show’s lead, Emmy Rossum, made the same announcement.
“I have been a series regular on this show for roughly ten years. I was the tender age of fifteen when we shot the pilot, and I came of age in so many ways, both legally and personally,” Monaghan wrote alongside a series of photos on Instagram. “I was very lucky to mature and grow with this show. Experiencing so many firsts, maturing as an actor, a professional, and a human. In the process gaining friends, family, and the best coworkers a very lucky actor could ask for, and for this I can be nothing but gracious.”
The actor continued, “All good things come to an end. An old cliche, but one that rings true with a sincerity and clarity especially in moments like these. Everything ends.”
Here’s the kicker — the next episode of Shameless is Monaghan’s last.
“I have known since last year, but I didn’t want to give it away too early as I wanted this season to be a surprise for the audience, allowing them to experience Ian’s unsure journey with his character,” he wrote. “This role has been a joy to inhabit, a wild and special ride, and I’d like to thank #Shameless as well as you, the viewers, for being there with him. Goodbye, Ian Clayton Gallagher. We’ll meet again?”
In Rossum’s announcement, she also hinted that she could potentially return to the show at some point.
“I know you will continue on without me, for now,” she wrote on Facebook at the end of August. “There is much more Gallagher story to be told. I will always be rooting for my family. Try not to think of me as gone, just think of me as moving down the block.”
Rossum didn’t reveal her exit date, so what will serve as her last episode of Shameless is currently unknown. Read her full announcement here.