Emma Kenny as Gracie, Steve Howe as Danny
Casey Durkin/NBC (2)Introduction after booking Reba McEntiredaughter of Happy place, Emma Kenny Got support — and meaningful advice — from none other than her shameless costar Steve Howe.
“I was very excited to be a part of it Happy place And work with Reba. I worked with Steve Howe for a long time, who also worked with Reba for a long time. So going into it I gave him a call,” Kenny, 25, said exclusively our weekly. “He had nothing but amazing things to say about her, and he wasn't wrong.”
Kenny Had “such a great time”. Working alongside McEntire, 69, who previously shared the screen with Howe, 47 Reba The sitcom “has such a kind and generous and welcoming energy, which is very special when you're joining an already established cast for that feeling,” Kenny noted. “So I was very lucky to get it.”
After sharing the screen with McEntire, Howey went on to star opposite Kenny on Showtime's hit series Shameless. Howie returned to his roots with a guest appearance Happy place At the beginning of this season, which set the scene for a Possible onscreen reunion Between her and Kenny.
“I want to get back on set with Steve. He's one of my favorite people and the funniest,” the actress gushed our. “He's definitely like an uncle to me. And I would love to do scenes with him and Reba. It will be really fun.”
Steve Howe, Emma Kenny, Ethan Katkowski, Shanola Hampton and Joan Cusack in 'Shameless'
ShowtimeFor now, Kenny is celebrating the opportunity Work with McEntire after fetching Gracie's role in the Friday, January 10, episode of NBC's new sitcom.
“I definitely felt a lot of responsibility going into this project as Reba's daughter. He is such an icon and such an established performer,” Kenny continued. “The show had already aired a few episodes when I started shooting. So obviously I saw what I could do and tried to prepare in that sense. I definitely wanted to come in and try to bring some respect to her daughter's character.”
Part of Kenny's preparation Its own acceptance means development on character.
“He's very tough and very no-nonsense. Gracie definitely has a lot of resilience and I would say determination,” she shared. “But I definitely wanted to bring some heart to her and I wanted the audience to be able to see why she's got this tough exterior.”
Kenny continued: “I always analyze a character that I write. Sometimes I'll choose a zodiac sign for the character, as weird as that may sound. It gives me a little perspective for the character. I chose (Gracie) to be a Capricorn. . I felt it made sense to him.”
Reba McEntire proved she was more than just a country superstar when she hosted her own TV show — aptly named Reba. The sitcom ran for six seasons from October 2001 to February 2007. McEntire starred as a single mother raising her three children — Joanna Garcia Swisher, Scarlett Pommers and Mitch Holman (…)
While Kenny would love to reprise her role as Gracie, she'd also love the chance to reunite with former costars — with him shameless the family
“I miss working with all of them. It's always a sad and perhaps nostalgic feeling when you wrap up a show you've done for years because it's probably not going to be the same casting crew. Although doing Connors (At ABC) gave me hope,” she admitted. “In the sense that they literally brought back the entire crew from their original show from the '80s and '90s. But I've been really fortunate to work with wonderful people that I really like. Formed a strong bond. I would love to go on set with any of them again.”
Happy place NBC airs Fridays at 8 pm ET.