Rebecca Atkinson (born 22 September 1983) is an English actress, known for portraying Karen Maguire in Shameless from 2004 until 2013 Atkinson studied theatre and dance at Preston College Before her television appearances, Atkinson attended the David Johnson Drama and taught dancing in Goostrey for the Glenda Ann School of Dancing. In 2004, Atkinson began playing Karen Maguire in Channel 4's popular comedy drama series, Shameless, and appeared in all 11 series. She has also appeared in Life O ...