Steve Howey Shoots Down Shameless Reboot, Praises Jeremy Allen White, Shanola Hampton's Success (Exclusive)
Steve Howey doesn't know if he "could even play" his Shameless role of Kevin Ball again. While talking exclusively to TooFab about his guest starring appearance on NBC's newest medical series Brilliant Minds, Howey shared his opinion on if he would ever do a Shameless reboot down the line. "I don't know, not really," Howey told TooFab. "I think jobs are... They're jobs, they're gigs, they're moments in time. I'm still friends and family with a lot of the people that I worked with." Shameless aired on Showtime television network for a whopping 11 seasons. The drama catapulted careers such as Jeremy Allen White's, who later went on to lead the Emmy-winning show The Bear, sweep up individual awards and reach international fame and recognition. "I feel very proud," Howey said of White's success after watching him grow up on the Chicago based series. "He's having a moment and he deserves it. He works hard and he's a really good, he's a good guy. So that's what's most important," he added. However, it's his friendship with Shanola Hampton who played his wife Veronica Fisher on Shameless, that he cherishes most from his Shameless days. "Shanola has her show on NBC [show] Found and she's worked really hard to get where she is. I just keep telling her to start a production company so she can hire me. Shanola is like... She's like a guardian angel that came from some lifetime ago or on this life," Howey said of their friendship. "She's my best friend, she's very important in my life. And that -- besides all the other friendships -- I cherish." Along with Howey's long-running role on Shameless, the 47-year-old actor is also known for his time as Van Montgomery on The WB/CW sitcom television series Reba from 2001 - 2007. Over the years, Howey said he's found that both of his famous roles cover different generations of fans, saying "mother and daughter duos" come up to Howey often and "the daughter loves me from Shameless and the mother knows me from Reba." As for a reunion of Reba, it might be happening sooner than we expected. "There might be a little reunion soon on her new show [Happy's Place]," Howey teased to TooFab. Country-legend Reba McEntire joined forces with her Reba executive producers Kevin Abbott, Michael Hanel and Mindy Schultheis for the new project alongside a new addition to the creative team, Julie Abbott. Happy's Place premieres October 18 2024 on NBC and will occupy the Fridays slot at 8/7c. "They're not sick of me, I don't know I'm very lucky to have worked with really cool people," Howey added of the possible reunion. "They're not only very talented in what they do, but they're actually just great people and I just try to like maintain that relationship." However, much like those not in Hollywood, time gets in the way. "I need to be better. I should call more, but I get checked in, you get caught up with your own stuff and then you're just like, 'Oh, I need to call them back' or whatever it is. But yeah that might happen [reunion on Happy's Place]," he added. While Howey would be excited to appear on Happy's Place, much like his opinion on rebooting Shameless, a reboot of Reba feels "weird". "To do a reboot of the old show, I don't know it's like reenacting a wedding or something it's like, 'We already got married?' It's a weird thing," he said, before moving back to Shameless. "I don't know if I could even play Kev again." "The character that an actor plays is specific at the time of when the actor is playing the character. Especially for me," Howey began. "Let's just say I'm doing a scene from Romeo and Juliet and I'm in an acting class, that scene will be different if I do it 10 times throughout my lifetime because what I bring as a human, as a person, will affect the choices I make on how I deliver the lines and listen to the other lines." Then again... Howey isn't taking reboots off the table completely. "You know and listen, I never say never. A gig's a gig." Howey has been known to keep himself in great shape and, in the past, has spent up to 2-3 hours in the gym. Now, he is looking at other ways to remain healthy, including cutting out alcohol. "I went sober last year," Howey shared exclusively with TooFab. "And then it's just a diet. I try to eat the same thing and I don't eat that much. My body seems to prefer the same things. One day you have this meal, the next day you have that meal, your body's like, 'Whoa, what are we doing? We're throwing in Indian and now we're having Mediterranean and now a cheeseburger, what's happening?'" Along with ditching alcohol and focusing on his diet, Howey credits his new found love for meditation. "Then I started, in the last few years, four to be exact, you can do the math, I started meditating, and that's helped a lot. Slow down the brain. The mind loves chaos.
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While Shameless is off the table -- for now -- Steve did reveal to TooFab exclusively that there may be a Reba reunion happening sooner than we thought.
Steve Howey doesn't know if he "could even play" his Shameless role of Kevin Ball again.
While talking exclusively to TooFab about his guest starring appearance on NBC's newest medical series Brilliant Minds, Howey shared his opinion on if he would ever do a Shameless reboot down the line.
"I don't know, not really," Howey told TooFab. "I think jobs are... They're jobs, they're gigs, they're moments in time. I'm still friends and family with a lot of the people that I worked with."
Howey on Shameless
Shameless aired on Showtime television network for a whopping 11 seasons. The drama catapulted careers such as Jeremy Allen White's, who later went on to lead the Emmy-winning show The Bear, sweep up individual awards and reach international fame and recognition.
"I feel very proud," Howey said of White's success after watching him grow up on the Chicago based series.
"He's having a moment and he deserves it. He works hard and he's a really good, he's a good guy. So that's what's most important," he added.
However, it's his friendship with Shanola Hampton who played his wife Veronica Fisher on Shameless, that he cherishes most from his Shameless days.
"Shanola has her show on NBC [show] Found and she's worked really hard to get where she is. I just keep telling her to start a production company so she can hire me. Shanola is like... She's like a guardian angel that came from some lifetime ago or on this life," Howey said of their friendship.
"She's my best friend, she's very important in my life. And that -- besides all the other friendships -- I cherish."
Howey on Reba
Along with Howey's long-running role on Shameless, the 47-year-old actor is also known for his time as Van Montgomery on The WB/CW sitcom television series Reba from 2001 - 2007.
Over the years, Howey said he's found that both of his famous roles cover different generations of fans, saying "mother and daughter duos" come up to Howey often and "the daughter loves me from Shameless and the mother knows me from Reba."
As for a reunion of Reba, it might be happening sooner than we expected. "There might be a little reunion soon on her new show [Happy's Place]," Howey teased to TooFab.
Country-legend Reba McEntire joined forces with her Reba executive producers Kevin Abbott, Michael Hanel and Mindy Schultheis for the new project alongside a new addition to the creative team, Julie Abbott. Happy's Place premieres October 18 2024 on NBC and will occupy the Fridays slot at 8/7c.
"They're not sick of me, I don't know I'm very lucky to have worked with really cool people," Howey added of the possible reunion. "They're not only very talented in what they do, but they're actually just great people and I just try to like maintain that relationship."
However, much like those not in Hollywood, time gets in the way.
"I need to be better. I should call more, but I get checked in, you get caught up with your own stuff and then you're just like, 'Oh, I need to call them back' or whatever it is. But yeah that might happen [reunion on Happy's Place]," he added.
While Howey would be excited to appear on Happy's Place, much like his opinion on rebooting Shameless, a reboot of Reba feels "weird".
"To do a reboot of the old show, I don't know it's like reenacting a wedding or something it's like, 'We already got married?' It's a weird thing," he said, before moving back to Shameless. "I don't know if I could even play Kev again."
"The character that an actor plays is specific at the time of when the actor is playing the character. Especially for me," Howey began. "Let's just say I'm doing a scene from Romeo and Juliet and I'm in an acting class, that scene will be different if I do it 10 times throughout my lifetime because what I bring as a human, as a person, will affect the choices I make on how I deliver the lines and listen to the other lines."
Then again... Howey isn't taking reboots off the table completely.
"You know and listen, I never say never. A gig's a gig."
Howey on Fitness
Howey has been known to keep himself in great shape and, in the past, has spent up to 2-3 hours in the gym. Now, he is looking at other ways to remain healthy, including cutting out alcohol.
"I went sober last year," Howey shared exclusively with TooFab. "And then it's just a diet. I try to eat the same thing and I don't eat that much. My body seems to prefer the same things. One day you have this meal, the next day you have that meal, your body's like, 'Whoa, what are we doing? We're throwing in Indian and now we're having Mediterranean and now a cheeseburger, what's happening?'"
Along with ditching alcohol and focusing on his diet, Howey credits his new found love for meditation.
"Then I started, in the last few years, four to be exact, you can do the math, I started meditating, and that's helped a lot. Slow down the brain. The mind loves chaos. And then all you have is breath," he added before mentioning his mom has also remained in great shape at 75-years-old.
"It's a lot of nature nurture, but, definitely working out. The body in motion stays in motion, body rest stays at rest. So even when my body hurts I'll just go for a walk and then I'll get blood flow. You get oxygen, your blood gets oxygen."
Howey is a father of three kids -- William, Violet, and Knox -- who he shares with his ex-wife, The L Word alum Sarah Shahi. The pair were married for 11 years before going their separate ways in 2020.
Howey guest stars on NBC's newest medical series Brilliant Minds along side Emmy nominee Zachary Quinto tonight. Watch Brilliant Minds on Mondays at 10pm.
