Shanola Hampton went into graphic detail about filming her first Shameless sex scene with Steve Howey.
In Us Weekly‘s exclusive clip from the Tuesday, May 13, episode of Tommy DiDario‘s “I’ve Never Said This Before” podcast, Hampton, 47, reflected on developing a close friendship with Howey, 47, after filming several NSFW scenes for Shameless over the years.
“Our very first scene that we shot together, I am riding him like a bull — with a dildo. This is the pilot episode. Go back and watch it,” Hampton noted. “Veronica has a strap on dildo and it is Frank saying, ‘These are our crazy neighbors.’ And I am riding him.”
Hampton credited those first days on set for building her bond with Howey. “You are either going to get it together with one another or you are not — right away,” she said. “And we did.”
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According to Hampton, her connection with Howey has stood the test of time.
“It was this chemistry that we had right away and he is such an interesting personality when you first meet him,” she gushed. “Because he is so big and he can be sarcastic so people don’t know how to take him. But he is the warmest and most loyal human being in the entire world.”
Hampton was also able to give Howey some important advice about “male hygiene” when it comes to filming sex scenes, saying, “I was like, ‘Sir, I am going to need you to manscape.’ Even though you are pretending to go down on someone, I am still seeing something. What I don’t want to see is your pubes coming out of your underwear. So what you are going to do is shave that up. He will tell you that story.”
It didn’t take long for Hampton to pass on that wisdom.
“After that first scene, I told him, ‘Before you even think about doing a sex scene with me, get your butt in the shower. Sweaty balls, don’t come near me,’” she quipped. “We are not doing that. Nobody wants that. He will admit to it that I taught him all the things he needed to know about malescapping.”
Howey and Hampton played love interests on Shameless during its 11-season run on Showtime from 2011 to 2021. Shameless focused on the Gallagher family as they dealt with their father’s alcoholism, poverty, affairs, crimes and scams while living in the South Side of Chicago.
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After Shameless came to an end, Hampton moved on to Found, which was recently canceled on NBC following two seasons. Hampton pitched a cameo from Howey before news broke that the series wasn’t coming back for season 3.
“Steve Howey needs a job, Hollywood. It’s not a joke. I am dead serious — hire him,” Hampton exclusively told Us Weekly in April. “He is everything that you would [think he is]. He’s hot, he’s talented and he’s funny. He has everything. He should have his own show.”
Hampton said she liked the idea of sharing the screen with Howey again.
“Let’s talk about my best friend Steve Howey. I might be a little biased but he’s hot, right? He’s got swag and he’s a manly man,” she continued. “[My character] Gabi needs someone that can be like, ‘Sit down and let me take the lead. I’m planning the date today.’ Any version of Steve Howey that I could get on Found, I’ll take because I would work with him for the rest of my life.”
