Emmy Rossum says leaving 'Shameless' is 'scary and wonderful'

Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Shameless star Emmy Rossum says leaving the show is a "scary and wonderful" experience.

The 32-year-old actress, who plays Fiona Gallagher on the Showtime series, discussed her impending exit in the January/February issue of Shape.

"I made 110 episodes playing the character of Fiona, and it's been an incredible journey," Rossum told the magazine.

"I've learned a lot about myself as a person and as an actor. I want to leave the show while I still love it, and I know the door is open to come back if that feels right," she said. "I'm also extremely proud of what I was able to accomplish off-screen, with my negotiation for equal pay."

Rossum successfully fought in 2016 to earn as much as co-star William H. Macy, who portrays Fiona's dad, Frank Gallagher. She is looking forward to new projects as her time on Shameless comes to a close.

"The way I look at is is that the end of one thing is the beginning of something else," the star said. "I couldn't be more thrilled to spend time writing, directing, and seeing what other characters I want to play. It's both scary and wonderful."

Rossum announced in August that she is leaving Shameless after nine seasons. Macy teased the actress' final episode in an interview with E! News in December, saying Fiona will "go away" in the second half of Season 9.

"Fiona's going to go away. It was inevitable. People are going to start dropping away," the actor said." I think she'll come back. I don't know? It'll be exciting."

Shameless will return Jan. 20 with part two of Season 9. Rossum stars with Liam Neeson in the new movie Cold Pursuit, which opens in theaters Feb. 8.