This page is about the US incarnation of Ian Gallagher. For the UK version, see Ian Gallagher.
Ian Clayton Gallagher was born in 1996, the product of a PCP-fueled affair between his mother Monica and an as-yet unspecified brother of Gallagher family patriarch Frank in the summer of 1995. Monica conceals knowledge of this affair and from the Gallagher family, leaving them to believe that Ian is Frank's son. The truth is uncovered when Ian undergoes DNA testing in hopes of proving that Frank is not his biological father. He and his brother, Lip, investigate by visiting two of Frank's brothers, and they both come to believe Ian's father is Clayton Gallagher, whom Ian strongly resembles and whose given name matches Ian's middle name. Clayton's wife becomes very upset looking at the two sitting side-by-side and tells him she wants Ian and Lip out of her house. Ian decides not to interfere with Clayton's marriage, as his place is with the family he has always known, though he feels that Frank hates and resents him, feelings that Ian's sister Fiona attributes to Ian's looking most like Monica of all of the children. He is the third Gallagher child.
While in high school, he works at a local convenience store. He is orderly and disciplined, traits that are attributed to his membership in his school's Junior Reserve Officer's Training Corps. His JROTC training also afforded Ian profiency in small arms and he is an excellent marksman. His dream is to go to West Point one day and to serve in the Armed Forces. Due to that, Ian is the most fit of the Gallaghers, because of his constant exercise, and combat training. He eventually joins the army at the end of season 3, but then goes AWOL.
Biography
Season One
Ian is gay and closeted. When his older brother Lip discovers a cache of gay pornography in the room they share, he first confronts Ian with it and then sets him up to receive oral sex from Karen Jackson, a neighbor whom Lip tutors. When Karen confirms that Ian was unaroused by her ministrations, Lip comes to accept his brother and becomes Ian's trusted confidante.
Ian is involved in a sexual relationship with Kash, owner of Kash and Grab. Kash, a Muslim, is married to Linda, a white woman who converted to marry him, and has two children with her. Usually Ian and Kash have sex in the storeroom, but one weekend when Linda and the children are out of town Kash brings Ian to their home. Upon seeing the reality of Kash's life with his family, Ian balks at having sex there. Lip quickly finds out about Ian's and Kash's relationship, and so does Linda. Although angry, she tells Kash he can continue sleeping with Ian after he gets her pregnant. She allows Ian to keep his job, but strictly forbids any sexual encounters between the two until she successfully conceives.
Ian's schoolmate Mandy Milkovich expresses a sexual interest in him. When he does not reciprocate, she gets revenge by telling her brothers that Ian imposed himself on her sexually, causing them to chase him with violent intentions for a few days. After evading them, he comes out to Mandy, who not only calls off her brothers, but suggests that she be his beard to deflect any questions about his sexuality. The two start going on non-sexual dates, genuinely enjoying each other's company.
Meanwhile, Mickey Milkovich, one of Mandy's brothers and an aggressive shop lifter, due to whom Linda had installed the security cameras that revealed Kash's and Ian's relationship to her, has been terrorizing Kash and steals the gun kept in the store for protection. Ian confronts Mickey at his home, determined to retrieve it. In the ensuing altercation the pair realizes their attraction and have sex. They maintain the sexual relationship although Mickey denies any emotional attraction to Ian, who cools off his relationship with Kash. Eventually Kash catches the two having sex in the store and, in response, shoots Mickey in the leg and has him arrested following Mickey's brazen theft of a candy bar. Though he kept his relationship with Mickey a secret at first, he tells Lip about them after Mickey gets shot and sent to juvie.
Season Two
Mickey is released from juvenile detention and he and Ian resume their relationship. Mickey starts working security at the Kash and Grab. Frank catches the boys having sex in the cooler and Mickey, fearing that his father would kill him should Frank tell what he saw, resolves to kill Frank. After stalking him for several days, Mickey can't go through with it and assaults a police officer instead, violating his parole and returning him to juvenile detention.
Monica returns home following the death of Frank's mother Grammy. While home she tells Ian that Frank told her about seeing him with Mickey and that he should be proud of who and what he is. She takes him to his first gay bar. The next day Ian, depressed over a poor math score, allows Monica to take him to a local enlistment center to join the Army. He is refused, because he has not graduated high school. The following morning Ian is attacked in the kitchen by Terry Milkovich, father of Ian's beard Mandy, because he believes Ian has gotten her pregnant.
Ian spends the next few days avoiding Terry, but it becomes increasingly more difficult. Lip suggests they plant Grammy's old gun in the Milkovich home; this will violate Terry's parole and, if the gun is tied to a murder, could get him incarcerated for life. They break in and discover Terry already has several guns; they plant theirs anyway. When Terry catches! Not in real life its fake really fake
The night before Thanksgiving Ian returns to the gay bar he has visited with his mother. He is picked up by an older gentleman who calls himself Ned; they spend the night together. A few days later at Fiona's insistence her erstwhile boyfriend Jimmy arranges a dinner for the Gallaghers and his family. Ian is shocked to learn that Ned is really Lloyd, Jimmy's father, who sends repeated text messages to Ian suggesting they get together again. Ian tries to tell Fiona several times, but is interrupted when Frank shoves him against the wall out of anger for Monica leaving. Ian is saved when Jimmy's wife, Estefania hits him over the head with a frying pan.
Season Three
The third season takes place several months after feet the incident with Frank. Ian is still trying to improve his chances of getting into West Point, while helping with the financial stability of the family. He also now has regular contact with Lloyd, which has turned into somewhat of a friends-with-benefits relationship. He has also been seen having sex with a guy from his ROTC class, when Mickey shows up again. After Ian is interrupted, the boy pleads with Ian not to tell anyone then Mickey slightly beats the boy up who runs off. Mickey and Ian have sex and then start catching up from an interval of separation. Ian feels confused over whether Mickey actually likes him or not, especially after he has sex with a girl from their neighborhood. Ian asks Mandy for some advice about knowing if a guy is attracted to you. Mandy says that he would know it when he looks in his eyes. The next day Ian saves a kid from Mickey's wrath. Ian then tries to stare at Mickey's eyes, seeing if there was the supposed "look", but Mickey only asks what he was looking at. Though later he realizes that Mickey must care about him when he follows him and Lloyd on a date. which is not ever happining
Mickey starts becoming jealous because Ian is seeing the other men. Eventually Lloyd reveals that he is gay when he is kicked out of his house and calls Jimmy soon after. When Lloyd and Jimmy come back to the Gallagher house after drinking at The Alibi Room, the older man seems to want to reach for Ian, but he falls down because of his drunken state. Jimmy offers him to let him sleep on the couch. When Lloyd wakes up in the middle of the night and decides to look for Ian upstairs with nothing but his boxers on he runs into Molly Milkovich while peeing in the bathroom. Liam Gallagher apologizes and then continues walking down the hall. He climbs into Lip's bedwithh no clothes on, believing he is Ian. Lip reacts loudly, saying that Lloyd has a boner and almost beats him up until Fiona walks in to intervene. Lloyd looks around and then says he was looking for the bathroom because he was going to take a shower, trying to hide the fact that he was looking for Ian. Jimmy takes his dad downstairs, and Fiona asks Lip if he was sure Lloyd had had a boner, leading Ian to admit that Lloyd had been looking for him and that the two have been dating. He adds he did not know Lloyd was Jimmy's father when he met him at the club.
Lloyd later asks Ian if he could break into his house to steal back his belongings since his soon-to-be-ex-wife changed the locks. He enlists Mickey and a couple of his cousins to do it. When Mickey asks Ian why he likes Lloyd, he says it is because he is not afraid to kiss him. Right before Mickey goes into Lloyd's house for the heist, he kisses Ian for the first time. Ian waits in the van to be the getaway driver until the robbery goes wrong. Candace wakes up when she hears a ruckus and comes down the stairs with a shotgun in her hand. She ends up shooting Mickey in the butt. Ian quickly drives away with a bleeding Mickey and his cousins. He ends up calling Lloyd and asks for his help in getting Mickey mended.
When Ian and the rest of the Gallagher children are taken away by child protective services, Mickey lets him stay at his house since his father Terry was away on an extended hunting trip. Terry ends up coming home early and catches Mickey and Ian having sex. He beats both of them, and forces Ian to watch Mickey have sex with a prostitute. Afterwards, Mickey goes to great lengths to avoid Ian. Eventually Mickey marries the prostitute, since she is pregnant. Ian goes to talk to Mickey, but it goes badly; Ian tries to get Mickey to admit he loves him angering Mickey, who brutally beats Ian. He leaves, claiming to feel better. At the end of the episode, Ian cries alone in his room.
On the day of Mickey's wedding, Ian helps Mandy set up the chairs. Ian is still so bothered by the fact that Mickey is getting married to a woman that he starts to drink heavily, getting very drunk just before the wedding. He tries to confront Mickey again, pleading him not to go through with it. Mickey says it is just a piece of paper, but Ian does not think so. They have sex, and Ian tries to stop him from going through with the ceremony again, but they get interrupted by Mandy, who has been looking for Mickey, who then proceeds with the wedding. Ian continues to drink all through the ceremony and the party. He ends up calling out to Mickey and calling his wife a whore. During his ranting, he inadvertently reveals to Mandy that he and Mickey have been sleeping together. Lip tries to take Ian home, but he stumbles and passes out in some bushes.
Ian goes to enlist in the army using Lip's identification, because Ian is not old enough. He visits Mandy to ask her to get him something. Mickey tries to talk to Ian, but he tells him that he is enlisting. Mickey tries to persuade him not to leave, but still fails to express his feelings. Mandy gives Ian what he had asked for and he leaves. Mandy asks Mickey if that is all he has to say to Ian, but gets no response.
Season Four
In the season premiere, Ian's family and neighbors do not know of Ian's exact whereabouts, they only know he has "taken off." Debbie is worried and has been arguing with Fiona about reporting him to the police as a missing person, but Fiona says she trusts Ian and does not see the need to do so. Mickey is seen to be missing him and secretly pining for him.
In There's The Rub, Lip is approached by military police and finds out Ian used his name and social security number to enlist. He is now wanted for the attempted theft of government property, impersonating Lip and goes AWOL. The military police show Lip a picture of Ian and ask if he recognizes him; Lip says he has never seen him before. Concerned for his brother, Lip returns home to the Southside and begins looking for clues. He asks Mickey if he has seen Ian; Mickey says no and asks if Ian is in trouble. With Debbie's help, they find out that Ian has been in touch with Mandy and told her he is staying with an old boyfriend. Upon investigation, they find out it is Lloyd, though Ian is no longer staying with him as he was asked to leave when, while having friends over, he damaged Lloyd's property. Lloyd informs them that Ian is now staying with Monica. They find and abandoned house full of Ian's stuff, but no Ian. When they call out for him, they are aproached by a naked woman who threatens to shoot them. After reasoning with her, the siblings find out that Ian now works at a bar called the White Swallow. They enter the bar and see Ian serving people drinks. His appearance and behavior are different, he wears a glittery top and makeup, and he acts as though he is on drugs. Upon seeing his siblings, Ian approaches them very enthusiastically and acts as if nothing had happened. He appears manic, offering them drinks and seeming very distracted. He does not answer Lip's questions, but informs him that he has been working at the club for two weeks. He also comments that he finds the idea of the army police searching for him "hilarious," and that he did not "steal anything," he just "started the rotors." Lip tries to get Ian to talk outside, but to no avail; he is dragged away by security and Ian does not seem to notice. Debbie expresses concern for her brother, asking if there is something wrong with him. Lip tells her that at least they know where he is now, and says he will check on Ian again soon.
In A Jailbird, Invalid, Martyr, Cutter, Retard, And Parasitic Twin, Mickey, after having been informed by Mandy about Ian's current situation, attempts to get Ian to return home. He eventually finds Ian, who is currently giving an older man a lap dance, who puts an unspecified bill into Ian's mouth. Ian is going by the name Curtis to his clients. After breaking up the lap dance, Mickey is told by Ian that he will only stay if he pays for a lap dance. Mickey obliges. While Ian is performing the lap dance, Mickey tells him that his family misses him. Ian is unresponsive and argues with an aggravated Mickey. A security guard breaks up the fight. Later, Ian leaves the club with an older man. While waiting for the cab, Ian asks him if he has any "party favors" as the man attempts to put his hand down Ian's pants. Mickey, who had been waiting, intervenes and assaults the man. Ian, meanwhile, collapsed onto the floor and Mickey carries him into the waiting cab, taking him home.
In Hope Springs Eternal Ian awakens to find Svetlana staring at him. She informs him that he has been asleep all day. Ian nonchalantly gets up to shower. Svetlana walks in on him, with a hammer, and threatens to "smash his orange head" if he continues to stay at her and Mickey's home. Ian returns home to a surprised Fiona. While relaying information of where he has been to her, Fiona picks up on his slightly erratic behavior, such as laughing too loudly. She is concerned over his disinterest in returning back to school. Svetlana tells Mickey that she has kicked Ian out and Mickey comes to the Gallagher home to talk to Ian. After Fiona casually mentions that Ian is upstairs, Debbie, Carl, and Lip follow Mickey. Ian is ambiguous over what he has been up to, attributing joining the military to "relationship issues." Lip knowingly turns towards Mickey, before leaving with Debbie and Carl, giving the two time to be talk. Once alone, Mickey wants to know if Ian is here to stay, to which Ian asks if Mickey will suck his dick whenever he wants. Ian has a journal where he begins to jot down "ideas" while waiting for a response from Mickey. Mickey obliges and gives Ian a blow job right then and there. The next morning, Ian entertains his siblings with stories of basic training in the army. As everyone leaves for school, Ian stays and continues eating breakfast. Mickey walks in and sits. Fiona asks Ian for cash and he gives Fiona a few crumbled bills. Ian invites Mickey to come see him perform at the club that night. At the club, Ian tells Mickey that they have been invited to a party being hosted by one of his clients. When Mickey complains about not wanitng to go, Ian attempts to kiss him. It is not until Mickey looks around and realizes that they will not be judged, that he and Ian kiss passionately in the middle of the club, solidifying their relationship. Mickey is out of his element at the party, starting with not shaking hands with Ian's friend to having an awkward conversation with one of the other guests who asks Mickey what he does for a living. Ian and Mickey fall asleep at the party. The next day, Mickey is asked if the two are together, to which he says yes. The questioner says that Mickey is a "lucky dude."
In The Legend of Bonnie & Carl Ian's erratic behavior increases while Mickey's problems with his wife also intensify. Desperate for money to keep Svetlana's mouth shut, Ian and Mickey carry out a scam on a older, married man who Ian pretends to seduce for money.
In Liver, I Hardly Know Her Ian's manic episode continues as he makes breakfast for his family with hardly any sleep. Ian helps in the search for Fiona while Mickey has an encounter with Kevin. Ian tries to convince Mickey not to harm Kevin as they walk into his house. They see Mandy having lunch with her abusive boyfriend. Ian attempts to convince Mandy to come back to the Gallagher house with him. Kenyetta approaches, and Ian grabs a knife which he holds to Kenyetta's throat. Mickey calms Ian down, and they leave. Mickey finally asks Ian out right what has been happening to him and if he is abusing drugs. Ian looks just as confused by his behavior. They later attend Frank's wedding as Ian's behavior seems to have distracted Mickey from his plans of revenge.
In Emily Ian and Mickey's relationship takes center stage. After Carl begins to notice the relationship between Mickey and Ian. Ian asks Mickey for confirmation of their relationship status. Mickey simply replies, "of course" they are together. Ian crashes the christening of Mickey's son, telling Mickey he will not be a mistress anymore. Mickey replies by publicly announcing that he is gay.
In Lazarus Mickey and Ian are an established couple for the first time, Fiona gets arrested but Ian has come crashing down from his manic episode. Mickey cannot get him out of bed, and asks the Gallaghers for their help. Debbie and Carl immediately recognize the symptoms Ian is exhibiting. Fiona later comes to the Milkovich house to see Ian. The family comes to the conclusion that Ian is having serious mental health issues, and is most likely bipolar like his mother. The season ends with Mickey refusing to let Ian have any psychiatric help and insists he will take care of him himself, though this is most likely out of lack of information than Frank's similar reaction to Monica submitting herself to a hospital for her illness.
Development
Ian has been described as "the anti-Kurt Hummel." Cameron said he was drawn to the role, because "it's one of those really intricate multi-layered characters, with all this inner struggle going on." He believes that Ian is different from other conemporaneous gay teenage characters on American teleivison, because he does not conform to any gay stereotypes and because of the character's blend of positive traits. "He's smart and he's tough and he's brave and he's really caring and responsible - and I think that's not always shown in one character."
At a 2011 Television Critics Association panel, executive producer John Wells stated that with Cameron having turned 18 the series would be able to explore Ian's sexuality in ways that had previously been barred by federal law.
Reception
Several critics have praised Ian's dynamic with Lip. Reviewing the pilot episode, Sarah Hughes of The Independent wrote that their relationship was a highlight of the UK series, and proved just as effective in the US adaption. She additionally commended Cameron's portrayal for providing "one of the more nuanced depictions of a gay teenager to be seen on US TV." In a generally unfavorable review of the series, Variety's Brian Lowry assessed that "what little soul it possesses" is derived from the Ian - Lip relationship. Matthey Gilbert of The Boston Globe called Cameron "extraordinary," and wrote "The moments when Lip confronts Ian about his sexuality are remarkably honest and refreshing, as they each slowly realize they don't need to play out predictably hostile roles." In contrast, Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times opined that their relationship "borders on treacle." The gay-interest media outled AfterElton.com cited Cameron's portrayal of Ian in naming him a "breakout actor" for 2011. In 2014, Hollywood.com named Ian Gallagher in their list of "Favorite LGBTQ Charatcters on TV", and Vanity Fair dubbed Ian and Mickey "The Best-Written Gay Couple on Television".
Gallery
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