Karen Jackson is introduced as Lip Gallagher’s (Jeremy Allen White) complicated and unpredictable girlfriend on Showtime’s hit show Shameless. In the early seasons, Karen’s character is defined by her erratic behavior and tumultuous relationship with Lip. She navigates life by caring for her agoraphobic mother, Sheila (Joan Cusack), but is also manipulative, which causes tension with Lip.
Karen’s relationship with Lip is fraught with ups and downs. She initially sleeps with Lip’s father, Frank (William H. Macy), who is also involved with Sheila at the time. Later, Karen marries Jody (Zach McGowan) while possibly being pregnant with Lip’s child. However, the pregnancy test reveals that Lip is not the father, but Karen doesn’t want to keep the child either. In the end, Sheila raises the baby, named Hymie, while Karen leaves her family and runs away.
In Season 3, Karen returns and attempts to rekindle her romance with Lip, though he is hesitant to get back together. Lip’s current girlfriend, Mandy (Emma Greenwell), strikes Karen with her car in an act of revenge, which leaves Karen with permanent brain damage. Following this, Jody and Karen move to Arizona with Hymie, disappearing from the show.
After her role as Karen, actress Laura Wiggins — also known as “Laura Slade Wiggins” — continued to make her mark in the entertainment industry. Before Shameless, Wiggins debuted in the TV movie Not Like Everyone Else and appeared in 30 episodes of the series throughout three seasons. She once shared in an interview that she didn’t expect to return for Season 4, hinting that the writers were moving away from Karen’s storyline to focus on the Gallaghers.
Post-Shameless, Wiggins maintained a steady career in television and film. She guest-starred on popular shows like Law & Order: SVU, Chicago P.D., and CSI. She also had a recurring role on The Tomorrow People, a short-lived CW series. In addition, Wiggins appeared in the Lifetime TV movie Starving in Suburbia.
Beyond TV, Laura ventured into film, with notable roles in 20th Century Women, Along Came The Devil 2, and Rings, the third installment in The Ring franchise. In 2019, she starred as Helen in the children’s movie Nancy Drew & The Hidden Staircase.
However, after 2020, Wiggins took a break from acting, with no new appearances in either film or television since then. Fans are hopeful that this is only a temporary hiatus, and that she will soon return to the screen, whether in indie films, horror projects, or other genres.
