Whatever Happened To Svetlana From Shameless?
During its 11-season run on Showtime, "Shameless" delivered some of the more boundary-pushing narratives on the air. It also delivered one of the more unforgettable ensemble casts in television history. That cast was, understandably, built around the members of the Gallagher family, fronted for the bulk of the series' run by William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, and Jeremy Allen White, among others. While the South Side shenanigans of the various Gallaghers were at the heart of virtually every narrative the show conjured, they were ably bolstered by the yeoman's work of a crack supporting cast.
Some of those supporting players were around longer than others, of course. As fans of the show can attest, it was always a bittersweet occasion when one of those longtime players exited stage left. Still, "Shameless" creatives usually gave those actors and characters a grand exit, with few departures coming in such spectacular fashion as that of Isidora Goreshter. The actor played the impetuous and, ahem, shamelessly opportunistic Svetlana Yevgenivna between Seasons 3 and 8. While her exit was as well-earned as it was grandiose, it still came as a surprise, if only because Svetlana had become such a fan-favorite character.
Goreshter was no doubt bummed to leave "Shameless" behind, given how far she'd risen in the narrative ranks. But we shouldn't feel too bad for the actor as she's kept herself quite busy since her South Side adventure ended.
Isidora Goreshter has kept pretty busy since her Shameless days
When last we saw Svetlana Yevgenivna, she'd seized on her own version of happily ever after in vintage Svetlana fashion. Even if Isidora Goreshter might've wished for a more dramatic exit (per Entertainment Weekly), the actor carved out her career since her "Shameless" tenure ended. And it should be no surprise that she's kept busy in the acting realm after leaving her steady gig behind.
Goreshter's final episode of "Shameless" aired in 2018, and the actor followed it with a brief but brilliant cameo in the Netflix rom-com "Happy Anniversary." If you've seen that underrated gem starring Noël Wells and Ben Schwartz, you know Goreshter's one scene as the ex-partner of Schwartz's character earns maybe the best laugh in the entire movie. That same year Goreshter was a menacing presence in the Chris Elliott, Haley Joel Osment horror comedy "Clara's Ghost." The following year, she was fronting another bizarre comedy in "The Petal Pushers." She delivered one of her more memorable roles to date with a one-off appearance as the incarcerated Meredith Grey's (Elle Pompeo) cell mate Paula on "Grey's Anatomy."
An 8-episode Season 2 run on the DirectTV thriller "Condor" followed, during which she appeared alongside William Hurt, Bob Balaban, and Constance Zimmer, among others. After that gig, Goreshter booked another starring role in the indie crime thriller "The Five Rules of Success." As it is, that 2020 film is the actor's last released project. But it's safe to assume we'll see more of Isidora Goresther sooner rather than later.