Frank Gallagher is the patriarch of the dysfunctional Gallagher family in the TV series Shameless, known for his severe alcoholism, drug addiction, and neglectful parenting, though he is a central and complex character played by William H. Macy in the US version. He is a perpetually unemployed, absentee father to Fiona, Lip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, and Liam, who often have to fend for themselves while he pursues his vices, yet he remains a constant, albeit unreliable, presence in their lives. 