Ethan plays Carl, the second youngest of six kids of an alcoholic single father played by William H. Macy. ???My character, he???s more a misunderstood person,??? Ethan says. ???Nobody gets him, so he turns [his frustration] into anger and uses it to beat up on people.???Although set in Chicago, Shameless shoots only a handful of scenes here; most of the show is taped in Los Angeles.