Emma Kenney


Emma Rose Kenney is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Deborah "Debbie" Gallagher on Shameless, a role she has played since 2011. Kenney is also recognized for her role as Harris Conner-Healy in the belated tenth season of the family sitcom Roseanne, and its spin-off continuation, The Conners.

Early life

Kenney was born on September 14, 1999, in Manhattan, born to Gillian Kenney, a criminal defense lawyer, and Kevin Kenney, a sports writer who formerly wrote for the New York Post and now works for Fox Sports.

Career

Kenney's most notable role to date is that of Debbie Gallagher, the on-air daughter of William H. Macy in the comedic drama Shameless. Kenney won the role at just 12 years old, while a seventh-grade student at Park Middle School in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. Outside of Shameless, Kenney made several appearances in short and made-for-television films and, in 2009, at just 9 years old, she was the youngest filmmaker to be a finalist at the New Jersey International Film Festival at Rutgers University.
In September 2017, it was announced that Kenney would appear in the 10th season of Roseanne, which serves as a revival of the series and premiered on ABC on March 27, 2018. She portrays Harris Conner Healy, the granddaughter of the sitcom's titular character. Kenney appears alongside many of the show's original cast members, including Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, and Sara Gilbert, with Gilbert portraying her TV mother, Darlene Conner Healy. On May 29, 2018, ABC cancelled the revival after one season after Barr’s comments on Twitter.
ABC ordered a Roseanne spin-off called The Conners, which would not include Roseanne Barr, but would retain the remaining main cast, including Kenney. The Conners premiered October 16, 2018.

Filmography

Film

Television