Emma Kenney called out Steve Howey’s Shameless after booking Happy’s Place

After booking a role Reba McEntiredaughter of Happy’s Place, Emma Kenney he received support—and meaningful advice—from none other than her Shameless costar Steve Howey.

“I was very excited to be a part of it Happy’s Place and work with Reba. I worked with Steve Howey for a long time, who also worked with Reba for a long time. So I went ahead and called him,” Kenney, 25, exclusively said My Weekly. “He had nothing but wonderful things to say about her, and he wasn’t wrong.

Kenny had “such a great time” works with McEntire, 69, who previously shared the screen with Howey, 47, on Reba sitcom. “He has such a kind, generous, welcoming energy, which is very special when you join an already established cast to feel that way,” Kenney noted. “So I was very lucky to have it.

After sharing the screen with McEntire, Howey went on to star alongside Kenney in Showtime’s Shameless. Howey returned to his roots with the role of guest Happy’s Place earlier this season that set the stage for a potential on-screen reunion between him and Kenney.

“I would love to go back to filming with Steve. He is one of my favorite people and the funniest person,” gushed the actress Our. “He’s definitely like an uncle to me. And I would love to do scenes with him and Reba. I would honestly enjoy that.”

For now, Kenney is celebrating the occasion deal with McEntire after bringing the role of Gracie to Life on the Friday, January 10 episode of NBC’s newest sitcom.

“I definitely felt a lot of responsibility going into this project and playing Reba’s daughter. She’s such an icon and such an established artist,” Kenney continued. “When I started filming, the series had already aired several episodes. So of course I watched what I could and tried to prepare in that sense. I definitely wanted to come and try to bring some honor to her daughter’s figure.’

Part of Kenney’s preparation it meant developing one’s own concept on the figure.

“She’s very tough and absolutely no nonsense. Gracie definitely has a lot of resilience and I would say determination,” she confided. “But I definitely wanted to bring some heart to her and I wanted the audience to see why she has such a tough exterior.

Kenney continued, “I always do an analysis of the character I write down. Sometimes I choose a zodiac sign for a character, even though it may sound weird. It gives me a bit of perspective on this character. I chose (Gracie) to be a Capricorn. I felt it made sense to her.”

Related: ‘Reba’ Cast: Where are they now?

Reba McEntire proved she was more than just a country superstar when she hosted her own TV show – aptly named Reba. The sitcom ran for six seasons from October 2001 to February 2007. McEntire starred as a single mother raising her three children – played by JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Scarlett Pomers and Mitch Holleman (…)

While Kenney would love to reprise her role as Gracie, she’d also love the chance to reunite with her former brothers— including her Shameless family.

“I miss working with them all. It’s always a sad and perhaps nostalgic feeling when you wrap up a show you’ve done for years because it will most likely never be the exact same casting crew. Although he does Conner (on ABC) gave me hope,” she admitted. “In the sense that they literally brought back the entire crew from their original show from the ’80s and ’90s. But I’ve been really lucky to work with such amazing people who I’ve developed really strong bonds with. I’d love to be on set with any of them again.’

Happy’s Place airs Fridays at 8:00 PM ET on NBC.