Emmy Rossum recently starred as the titular character in Peacock’s Angelyne. The comedy-drama actress is most known for her role as Fiona Gallagher on Showtime’s Shameless, which first aired in 2011. The show revolves around a dysfunctional family that the oldest daughter, Rossum’s Fiona, tries to keep together the best way she can while her father drinks and her younger siblings know nothing of life’s responsibilities.
After working on the show for nearly a decade, Rossum took a bow and said goodbye in the season 9 finale. Even though she is no longer on Shameless, there is no doubt we will be hearing more about her. After all, this is a woman of many talents and passions.
Updated on July 7th, 2022 by Jom Elauria: Emmy Rossum’s career continues to flourish after departing the hit Showtime show Shameless in 2018. Since then, Emmy has shown her range and commitment to the art of acting in by starring as the titular star in the Peacock limited series Angelyne. Despite being in the industry for more than 29 years, there are still a lot of things that fans don’t know about the award-winning Hollywood star.
Emmy Rossum’s Net Worth Is $12 Million
At 34 years of age, Emmy Rossum is worth around $12 million. She amassed her net worthwhile working on Shameless where she portrayed the beloved character Fiona, a parent-ified young lady who tried to keep her dysfunctional family together.
After season 9, Emmy quit the show, leaving a huge hole in the hearts of all fans of the show. Fiona was a central part of the story, but it wasn’t all that bad after she left either.
She Has Celiac Disease
Just like other actors Zooey Deschanel and Jennifer Esposito, Emmy has celiac disease, which essentially means she can’t have any gluten: no wheat, no pasta, nor any other carbs. Luckily for her, gluten-free options are all the rage these days, so it doesn’t affect her lifestyle all that much.
One time, she received a birthday cupcake on MTV News. Rather than turning it down completely, she simply ate the frosting and left the rest.
She Attended Columbia University
Just like one of the most popular characters on Shameless we still have questions about, Lip Gallagher, Rossum is quite the brainiac. As a child, she was diagnosed with ADHD, but that didn’t stop her from pursuing a formidable academic path. At the early age of 15, she already had her high school diploma.
She then proceeded to study at Columbia University where she learned all about art history, French, and philosophy. She graduated in 2008 when she was 24 years old.
She Dabbled In Directing
Emmy was always interested in directing. After observing others direct Shameless for six seasons, she mustered the courage to ask the showrunners to let her try. She directed season 7’s episode “I Am a Storm”, which was among the best episodes of the season, and “Frank’s Northern Shuttle Express”, which turned out to be one of the highest-ranking episodes of the 8th season according to IMDb.
Considering nobody held her hand through the process, it is pretty astounding she managed to direct two exceptional episodes. They also turned out to be among the most expensive ones to shoot.
She Got Married Twice
Emmy first married the music executive Justin Siegel in 2008, but they were only married for a year before filing for a divorce. Their wedding was kept on the down-low, so many didn’t even realize they were married until they separated.
Rossum’s second wedding looked even more stunning and was reminiscent of the best wedding movies. She married Sam Esmail in 2017. Since they’re both Jewish, they tied the knot at a Reform synagogue in New York City. He is the mastermind behind Mr. Robot. The two are quite a power couple. For example, Emmy learned a lot about directing from her beloved husband.
Shel Can Sing
Besides Shameless, Rossum’s biggest role is The Phantom of the Opera where she showed the world that not only she can act, but she can also sing. Her pipes could easily qualify her as a formidable contestant on The Masked Singer. After the movie was released, she was approached by several record companies to do a classical album, but she turned them down since it wasn’t really what she wanted.
In 2007, she released an album called Inside Out. Among her most famous songs are “Slow Me Down” and “These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)”. When she was seven years old, she was invited to join the Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus and she went on to perform alongside opera stars, such as Pavarotti.
She’s Been An Actor Since 1996
In 1996, Rossum was just ten years old, but she already started landing roles in TV shows, such as Grace & Glorie and Law & Order. Her movie debut was Songcatcher, a drama film from 2000. She rose to fame in 2011 when Shameless first aired.
She was nominated for various awards. In 2014, she won Best Supporting Actress in a Feature for her work on Before I Disappear. She received four awards total for her role in The Phantom of the Opera.
She’s A Perfectionist
Emmy is quite the perfectionist, which is something that she traces back all the way to her childhood. She was a conscientious child and she was well aware that there is no room for mistakes when you work with professionals – which she did ever since she joined the Children’s Chorus. She never felt like she missed out on anything, even though most children aren’t used to such levels of responsibility.
Her perfectionism is with her to this day, but it’s not the debilitating kind. It motivates her to give everything that she’s got rather than shy away from trying new things.
She Fought For Equal Pay On Shameless
Emmy was 22 years old when she became Fiona. Even though she was the star of the show, she wasn’t paid the same amount as certain co-stars, such as William H. Macy. She thought she deserved the same paycheck and refused to work until the producers granted her wish. So, how much did Emmy Rossum make in Shameless? After the negotiations, she made $350,000 per episode.
Her co-stars supported her in her negotiations. This multi-talented lady is the kind of woman who knows her worth!
She Would Have Made The Perfect Belle
After Disney gave the role of Belle from Beauty and the Beast to Emma Watson, many fans of Emmy’s got pretty upset since they (rightfully) thought Emmy would have made the best Belle ever. Emmy could have played the beloved Disney princess Belle as she has quite a bit in common with the princess: she can speak French, she is well-read, and she can sing like a dream.
Regardless, Emma Watson’s Belle turned out to be just as inspiring as the animated version.
She Almost Played Susan Storm
Just like other Hollywood actors, Emmy Rossum also wanted to diversify her acting portfolio by starring in a superhero film. That’s why she auditioned for Susan Storm, also known by her superhero name The Invisible Woman, in the 2015 Fantastic Four reboot.
Ultimately, Emmy lost the role to House of Cards’ Kate Mara. It seems that Emmy dodged a bullet, though, as the darker take on Marvel’s First Family failed to captivate the fans of the comic book series, as well as the general public.
She Memorized All Her Lines On Shameless
It’s not an easy job to be an actor. Aside from masterfully handling the complex character that is Fiona, Emmy also had to do the arduous task of memorizing all her lines as scripts are apparently banned on the Shameless set.
The strict rule also applies to guest stars. To help the actors stay in character and focus on delivering their lines, cell phones and social media were also banned on set. By memorizing her lines, Emmy felt freer to let go and experiment with her character.
She Actually Met Angelyne
The new Peacock show follows the story of Angelyne, an L.A. billboard queen who rose to prominence during the eighties. Emmy plays the titular character and her fans who only know her from Shameless might be surprised to see her embody such a polished character.
Emmy has actually met with the real-life Angelyne to prepare for the role. Emmy thought that Angelyne was a rebel, unconventional, powerful, and hyper feminine. (via E! Online) Meeting Angelyne has surely helped Emmy embody the role, as reviews of the show took note of her stellar performance.
She Has A Soft Spot For Animals
Emmy is an animal lover and rescuer. For years, Emmy has supported countless animals through the Best Friend Animal Society, which is a non-profit animal welfare organization. Emmy also has two dogs named Sugar and Peper, as well as a cat named Fiona.
She loves her animals so much that she brings them along for work trips. And when she moved to New York, one of her key priorities was finding an apartment co-op that would allow her to bring her whole crew.
She Fought Hard To Get A Role In Shameless
The role of Fiona didn’t easily land on Emily’s lap. Before playing Fiona on Shameless, Emily was mostly playing nice girls in film and television. That’s why when she auditioned for the role of Fiona, the producers of the show didn’t want to give her the role as they found her too nice.
To prove to the Shameless producers that she has what it takes to become the raw and gritty Fiona, Emily sent self-made audition tapes where she embodied the Shameless main character.
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