Emma Kenney Called Steve Howey Shameless After Booking Happy Place

After booking a role Reba McEntiredaughter on A Happy Place, Emma Kenney had help — and meaningful advice — from none other than her Shamelessly costar Steve Howey.

“I was really excited to be a part of A Happy Place and work with Reba. I worked with Steve Howey for a long time, who also worked with Reba for a long time. So going into it, I gave him a call,” Kenney, 25, said exclusively Us Weekly. “He had nothing but wonderful things to say about her and he wasn’t wrong.”

Kenny had “such a great time” working with McEntire, 69, who previously shared the screen with Howey, 47, on the Reba sitcom. “She has such a kind and generous and welcoming energy, which is really special when you’re joining a cast that’s already been established to feel that way,” noted Kenney. “So I was very lucky to have that.”

After sharing the screen with McEntire, Howey went on to star alongside Kenney in the hit Showtime series Shameless. Howey returned to his roots with a guest role on A Happy Place earlier this season, which set the scene for a a possible on-screen reunion between him and Kenney.

“I’d love to go back on set with Steve. He’s one of my favorite people and the funniest person,” gushed the actress Us. “He’s definitely an uncle figure to me. And I would love to do scenes with him and Reba. Honestly that would be so much fun.”

For now, Kenney is celebrating the opportunity to act with McEntire after coming the role of Gracie to life in the Friday, January 10, episode of NBC’s latest sitcom.

“I definitely felt a lot of responsibility going into this project and playing Reba’s daughter. She is such an icon and such an established performer,” Kenney continued. “The show had already aired a few episodes when I started shooting. So obviously I watched what I could that was out and tried to prepare in that sense. I definitely wanted to come and try to bring some honor to her daughter’s character.”

Part of Kenney’s preparation means developing her own intake on the character.

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

Kenney continued: “I always do a character analysis that I write. Sometimes I choose a zodiac sign for the character, as strange as that might sound. It gives me a bit of perspective for 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’s more than just a country star when she hosted her own TV show – aptly named Reba. The sitcom ran for six seasons between October 2001 and 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 would also love the chance to reunite with former costars – including her Shamelessly 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 probably never be the exact same cast. Although done The Connors (on ABC) gave me hope,” he admitted. “In the sense that they literally brought back the whole crew from their original show from the ’80s and ’90s. But I have been very fortunate to work with such wonderful people with whom I have formed strong bonds. I’d love to go on set with any of them again.”

A Happy Place airs on NBC Fridays at 8 pm ET.