William H. Macy Speaks out About Teenage ‘Shameless’ Actor’s DUI

William H. Macy may just be Ethan Cutkosky’s TV dad, but the 67-year-old is still concerned for the young actor following his arrest last week.

The Shameless star defended Cutkosky, who plays Carl Gallagher (Frank Gallagher’s second-youngest) on the Showtime series, to TMZ on Thursday, saying he’s a “great kid”.

On Wednesday, Nov. 1, the 18-year-old was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Los Angeles after he was seen seen straddling lanes in his BMW.

Macy also said that he’d give Cutkosky a call to check up on him and expressed sympathy for child actors growing up in the entertainment business. “Hollywood is tough on kids,” he said.

More: ‘Shameless’ Cast and Creator Share How the Show Can End

CBS Los Angeles reports that police are waiting for results of a blood test Cutkosky submitted to determine whether chemicals were in his system, as he admitted he had been smoking marijuana earlier in the evening.

Cutkosky was released early on Nov. 2 on a $5,000 bail and has a hearing set for Nov. 29.

Despite the actor’s arrest, there’s no need for Shameless fans to worry about the show’s timeline, as filming for season 8, which premiered this week, has already been completed.

Showtime has renewed the series for a ninth season, making it one of the cable network’s longest running series to date.

Season 8 premiered to rave reviews and impressive numbers. Drawing in 1.86 million live viewers Sunday night, up 50 percent from season 7’s premiere, it marked the show’s second-highest-rated premiere and the best overall Shameless telecast since season 5. Among all shows on the network, it ranks as Showtime’s highest rated and most watched series.