Shameless season 8 premieres Sunday, Nov. 5, at 9 p.m. ET, and the Gallaghers are back for more drama and chaos. The very brilliant Lip has been through so much over the past few seasons, with his sobriety being his toughest battle. Getting completely sober will continue to be a struggle for Lip in season 8, and Jeremy Allen White, 26, told HL EXCLUSIVELY at Showtime’s Shameless screening and panel at the Paley Center in Sept. 2017 that sobriety will be “number one” for his character. Given Monica’s death, could that send Lip down a dark path again?
But what about romance? Lip hasn’t always had the best success in the love department. He got into a relationship with Sierra (Ruby Modine) last season, but will they stand the test of time? Maybe, maybe not. Jeremy discusses that and more in our interview below! Check it out:
What’s next for Lip? Is he going to go back to school?
Jeremy Allen White: Well, what is number one for Lip is his sobriety. I know he gave it a shot last year, but he came up with this formula to be able to drink, but his life wouldn’t fall apart. That usually doesn’t work for alcoholics, so he kind of had this rock bottom moment with his old professor last year, and I think he scared the sh*t out of himself, and in an instant, he kind of knew the most important thing he could do for himself is to get sober. So that is what he is dealing with this year, and that is the most important. He has got his sponsor Brad, who has a big storyline this year. Lip is working in his bike shop, and he is taking that very seriously. He is not back in school. He is so bright, everyone knows that, but there is nothing academic this year. I think he is just trying to get by and trying to stay clean, and it is nice to watch. Even though he is trying, it gets hard at times, and I think it is interesting to see someone on the edge.
So the biggest challenge of sobriety is being sober…
Jeremy Allen White: Right! You have to do it for 24 hours, and then wake up and do it again. He has these tools, and it is nice to see him almost child-like because he has a real curiosity about it. He doesn’t know about sobriety. He grew up in a world and environment where his dad, his family, and friends never stop drinking, so it is a real new concept for Lip to take on. It’s nice to see Lip go to these people and ask them questions to better himself. It is just fun for me to play him so curious!
Will Sierra still be a part of his life when the show picks up?
Jeremy Allen White: They are still in each other’s lives, but there is something that goes hand in hand with sobriety at least in the first couple months, which is you are sort of celibate. You can’t and shouldn’t sleep with people. You shouldn’t get romantically involved with a partner, and so he is taking it so seriously and he is staying clean… He is trying to keep his distance because it is important for his sobriety, but at the same time, he can’t help himself because he still cares for this person! I think at the start of the season he needs a boundary check, and he gets that boundary check, and then it gets pushed again. That’s the dance that they do.
HollywoodLifers, do you think Lip will finally get his life together? Let us know!