'The Conners' Preview: Emma Kenney Reunites With 'Shameless' Co-Star Ethan Cutkosky (Exclusive)

Emma Kenney and Ethan Cutkosky are about to reunite on The Conners after spending 11 seasons as members of the Gallagher family that was central to the Showtime series Shameless. Ahead of Cutkosky’s debut on the ABC sitcom, ET has an exclusive look at the episode, “Parent Trap and Heart Attacks,” while the two actors tease what’s in store for his character. 

After playing the troublemaking Carl Gallagher, Cutkosky will now appear as “Neville and Louise’s nephew,” Kenney says, referring to the characters played by Nat Faxon and Katey Sagal, both of whom have now married into the family.

More specifically, Cutkosky plays their jaded 17-year-old nephew, Caleb, who gets welcomed in by the Conners after his father passes away unexpectedly. Prior to his death, “we never met Ethan’s character though,” Kenney says while ET was visiting the set of season 5. “And now Ethan is a nephew that’s coming into the Conner family.”

And in the clip above, Caleb begrudgingly meets Darlene (Sara Gilbert), Becky (Lecy Goranson) and Dan (John Goodman), who all get the brunt of his sarcastic attitude despite offering him a place to stay in their ever-increasingly crowded home. “Nothing says, ‘Welcome to the family,’ like sleeping outside. Is that where you keep the moonshine?” Caleb quips after learning he has to bunk in the trailer.

Recalling how he got a call from the show, Cutkosky says “it’s cool” to get to come in for “a cameo [on] The Conners. “I’m like, ‘Love that,’” he continues, explaining how “very interesting” it was “getting to spend [Emma’s] birthday with her,” especially after “having spent over 10 birthdays with each other and half of them have been on set.” 

Meanwhile, when it comes to Harris (Kenney), she’s still reeling from her breakup with Aldo (Tony Cavalero), when “things kind of went haywire,” Kenney says of where things are headed in season 5. “So, she’s kind of going through a little bit of heartache and maybe trying to move on and find herself.”

The Conners air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

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