Jeremy Allen Whitehas gained a lot of praise for his performance inThe Bear, but 11 years before he ran around his own restaurant, he was part of another successful dysfunctional family drama. Although Jeremy Allen White was no newcomer when he was cast as Carmy Berzatto inThe Bear, it was the role that earned him wide recognition and praise, but White has been building his acting career since 2006. White’s career started in the movieBeautiful Ohioand one episode of the legal dramaConviction, after which heplayed two different characters inLaw & Order.
White returned to theLaw & Orderfranchisein 2011 in an episode ofLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit, while he continued his career on the big screen in short films and feature-length ones. White’s big break on the big screen arrived in 2023 withThe Iron Claw, where he played Kerry Von Erich, but by then, he was already a well-known name on TV. Just one year after playing Michael Parisi inLaw & Order: SVU, White was cast in the American adaptation of the comedy dramaShameless, in which he was part of a dysfunctional family before joining the Berzattos.
Shameless Ran From 2011 To 2021
Developed by John Wells,Shamelessis an adaptation of Paul Abbott’s British series of the same name. Set on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois,Shamelessfollows the poor and dysfunctionalGallagher family, led by Frank (William H. Macy). Frank’s substance-use disorder has led him to neglect his six children for years, with his older daughter, Fiona (Emmy Rossum), taking full responsibility and raising them with the help of the oldest son and second-oldest Gallagher child, Lip (White).
The rest of the Gallagher family (in order) are Ian (Cameron Monaghan), Debbie (Emma Kenney), Carl (Ethan Cutkosky), and Liam (Christian Isaiah), each of them with their own struggles, many of which are the result of Frank and Monica’s neglect. While Frank spends his days getting drunk and high and using others to his advantage, especially Sheila (Joan Cusack), Fiona and Lip do what they can to provide for their family, while also dealing with personal stuff. Fiona counts on the help of her best friend and neighbor, Veronica (Shanola Hampton), and her husband, Kevin (Steve Howey).
The Berzatto family inThe Bearis a clearly dysfunctional one, in large part due to their mother, Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis), though the death of Mikey (Jon Bernthal) was a painful hit that the family hasn’t really gotten over. However,as dysfunctional as the Berzattos are, the Gallaghers were even worse. The Gallaghers went through a lot – from Liam accidentally overdosing as a toddler to Debbie’s teen pregnancy, Ian going to jail, and the many unstable jobs they all went through in an attempt to provide for the family –and their relationship with their parents could never be fixed.
Shameless Showed Jeremy Allen White’s Acting Range
Jeremy Allen White deserves all the praise he has received for his performance as Carmy inThe Bear, as he has brought to life the complexities of the character as he continues to deal with grief while keeping his restaurant and personal relationships afloat – and these acting skills were evident throughout his time inShameless.Lip was the most intelligent Gallagher kid(a genius, really), but his troubled childhood and upbringing led him to use that intelligence and abilities in not very honest and legal ways, just so he could provide for his family.
Lip also struggled with substance-use disorder throughoutShameless, eventually attending Alcoholics Anonymous, he had a son with Tami, and remodeled the Gallagher home in hopes of selling it and splitting the money with his siblings. Among all the drama, tension, and heartbreak in the Gallaghers’ story (both as a family and individually) throughoutShameless, the show had some lighter and even funny moments, in which White further showed his acting range.Shamelessshowed thatJeremy Allen Whitecould take a character likeThe Bear’s Carmy, and he can still do a lot more.
