NEW YORK (WLNY) – Emma Kenney is one of the stars of Showtime’s hit series, “Shameless.”

She plays 13-year-old Debbie Gallagher, who, thanks to one of the most irresponsible dads in TV history, winds up in foster care.

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But Debbie is wise beyond her years. As it turns out, so is Emma. So the fact that she’s on a show like “Shameless,” with outrageous story lines.

“Back in 2009, when I got the audition, my mom has read the pilot script, and I remember she was like, ‘Emma, you know, I don’t want you reading this script until your 18.’”

But it’s not a problem for the young star.

“I don’t get exposed to those bad scenes, we have a closed set, we have great [assistant directors] who keep the set clean,” she said.