Shameless Fans Didn't Even Notice This Pretty Big Actress Change At First
For the better part of its 11-season run on Showtime, "Shameless" relentlessly pushed the boundaries of narrative decency. In doing so, it often skillfully walked the fine line between high and low-brow comedy and soul-crushing drama. Almost miraculously, it accomplished as much with the bulk of its central cast in place throughout. There were, of course, a few shakeups here and there, with original cast member Joan Cusack making her series exit during Season 5 and star Emmy Rossum unexpectedly doing the same at the end of Season 9. But for the most part, the Gallagher family and their pals were played by the same crew from pilot to finale.
There was, however, one pretty major casting change between Seasons 1 and 2, with Emma Greenwell replacing "Evil Dead" remake star Jane Levy in the role of fiery Milkovich femme Mandy. That notable casting switch has, understandably, been discussed by "Shameless" fans over the years. But it seems the change was handled in such a low-key fashion quite a few of those fans didn't even notice it.
That was very much the case for several folks who chimed in on a Reddit thread that began by posing the question, "Didn't it bother you guys to have Mandy's actress change all of a sudden." And user u/andrepayup was one of many who admitted to not clocking the change, hilariously commenting, "Lol didn't notice the change at all. So there's that."
Some fans thought the actor playing Mandy on Shameless had merely grown up a bit between seasons
That was just the first of many comments reacting to the under-the-radar "Shameless" casting change. And Redditor u/MadeAUserName admitted they hadn't noticed it either, commenting, "TIL! I never noticed that the actress changed. Oy, I need to pay more attention." While some fans chimed in picking favorites between Jane Levy and Emma Greenwell, most agree the change was likely less obvious because both actors played the part exceedingly well.
Still, u/always_cheerful joined the conversation with another take on the change, admitting they'd come to believe the actress playing Mandy Milkovich had just done some growing up between seasons, stating, "Woah! I never noticed, i just figured the actress has grown up." Given the dramatic ways the series' younger cast members changed over the years — some were just 10 years old when "Shameless" began — it's easy enough to see the logic in that read. The same Redditor also credits the series' casting team for staying on brand when it came time to find a new Mandy. Kudos should also go to the series' writers, who stayed true to the character after the change even as her arc got considerably darker in ensuing seasons.
As for what led to the change in the first place, it seems Jane Levy had to leave "Shameless" when the pilot for her ABC sitcom "Suburgatory" was picked up by the network. While she was no doubt missed by her Season 1 cast-mates, it's clear the change was handled about as well as anyone could've hoped.