The evolution of Mandy Milkovich’s character on Showtime’s Shameless TV series was one of the show’s highlights. The comedy-drama, adapted from Paul Abbott‘s British series of the same name, captured audiences’ hearts for a decade throughout its 11-season run.
In Shameless, Mandy Milkovich’s storylines centered around abuse, bad relationships, and nudity. The character’s mid-series exit left several fans confused as they expected a better closure. Shameless aired its finale on April 11, 2021. Looking back at one of TV’s most emotionally broken characters in the last decade, here’s everything to know about Mandy Milkovich.
Mandy Milkovich’s Background Story
Mandy Milkovich was born in Chicago, Illinois, on July 16, 1995. Her parents were Terry Milkovich (Dennis Cockrum) and Laura Milkovich. Her mother, Laura, is only referred to throughout the series but never shown, as the character is presumed dead. Mandy has four brothers: Mickey (Noel Fisher), Iggy (J. Michael Trautmann), Joey (Frank Pacheco), and Colin (Joe Adler). She also has a half-sister, Molly, and a half-brother, Timmy.
Mandy Milkovich In Shameless Season 1
The Mandy Milkovich character was introduced as a spoiled girl from a gangster family. The Milkovich family already had a reputation, but besides being a sibling, Mandy still had a fun personality. In season 1, the character only appeared in 5 of the season’s 12 episodes. Also, in season 1, Mandy Milkovich had red hair.
The character is introduced as Ian Gallagher’s (Cameron Monaghan) classmate. Mandy develops a romantic interest in Ian but is terribly hurt when he does not reciprocate her feelings. To avoid problems, Ian confesses his sexuality to Mandy. To help keep his sexuality a secret, Mandy agrees to act as his girlfriend. Unbeknownst to Mandy, Ian has been having an affair with her older brother, Mickey.
Mandy Milkovich’s Evolution In Shameless
A black-haired Mandy Milkovich returns in season 2. Mandy begins a sexual relationship with Ian’s younger brother, Lip Gallagher (Jeremy Allen White). In season 2, episode 9 (“Hurricane Monica”), it is revealed Mandy is pregnant after her father attacks Ian in the Gallagher’s home, believing he’s the father of the child. However, in the next episode (“A Great Cause”), Mandy reveals her father is responsible for the baby. Later, explaining to Ian, “He drinks and mistakes me for mom. Only once in a while. Not like it’s a big deal.” By the end of the episode, Mandy secures money for an abortion.
With the relationship of her physical and sexual abuse inflicted by her character, audiences watch Mandy’s character grow darker and emotionally manipulative. The character is upgraded from her recurring role in season 2 to a series regular in seasons 3 & 4. Mandy Milkovich’s storyline focused on her obsessive, manipulative relationship with Lip Gallagher. In season 3, episode 4 (“The Helpful Gallaghers”), Mandy brings her half-sister into the Gallagher’s home, much to the annoyance of Ian’s sister, Fiona Gallagher (Emmy Rossum).
Despite their differences, with Lip feeling suffocated by Mandy’s continuous presence in his house/life, Mandy helps him apply and get admitted to college. When Karen Jackson (Laura Slade Wiggins), Lip’s ex-love interest, returns, Mandy feels jealous and unappreciated. Audiences watched in horror as Mandy hit Karen with her car, causing Karen to have frontal lobe damage. After Lip and Mandy break up, she begins dating Kenyatta (Shel Bailey). The relationship is revealed to be abusive. At the end of season 5, Mandy moved to Indiana with Kenyatta. However, she returns to the South Side in season 6, revealing she not only works for an escort agency but killed a client who tried to strangle her.
Who Played Mandy Milkovich In Shameless?
Actress Jane Levy played Mandy Milkovich in Shameless season 1. Levy played the red-haired Mandy Milkovich character. American-born English actress Emma Greenwell was recast as Mandy Milkovich after Jane Levy left the show. Levy’s exit left audiences confused as it was believed she performed excellently as Mandy. Shameless was also Jane Levy’s screen debut.
However, Jane Levy left Shameless for a good reason. Levy landed a lead role position on ABC’s sitcom Suburgatory. Although Shameless wasn’t Emma Greenwell’s screen debut, it was the first major project of her career. Greenwell played Claudia in 3 episodes of True Blood before making her debut in Shameless. True Shameless fans would agree that both actresses were inevitably suited for the phase of Mandy Milkovich’s life in which they played. If you liked the Mandy Milkovich character in Shameless, find out why Emmy Rossum, who played Fiona Gallagher, left Shameless.
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