A Conversation with Emmy Rossum: Navigating Fame, Storytelling, and Personal Growth
In this candid and inspiring conversation, EMMY ROSSUM shares her journey from child performer to acclaimed actress, singer, director, and producer. Drawing on her diverse body of work, including her iconic role in Shameless and her recent transformation into producer and creative visionary, Rossum offers unique insights into the entertainment industry, the power of storytelling, and the resilience it takes to evolve in the public eye. Ideal for audiences interested in media, women's empowerment, creative careers, and authentic personal narratives.
Emmy Rossum has been captivating audiences with her varied and exceptional talents for over a decade. Rossum’s performance in Songcatcher earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination in the category of “Best Debut Performance.” Four years later in 2004, her starring performance as “Christine” in The Phantom of the Opera earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination, as well as the National Board of Review’s “Best Female Breakthrough Performance” Award and the Broadcast Film Critics Association’s “Best Young Actress” Award in 2005.
Rossum began her theatrical career at the age of seven when she began singing the children’s roles at the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center. Between the ages of seven and twelve, she was trained there in stagecraft and classical vocal technique and performed in five languages in 20 different operas. In 2007, Rossum recorded her first album for Geffen Records, “Inside Out,” which showcased her classically trained voice as the primary instrument. She wrote and recorded all her own songs. She released her second album, “Sentimental Journey”—a collection of 1940s standards—in January 2013.
Rossum starred as ‘Fiona Gallagher’ in Showtime’s critically acclaimed dark comedy series, Shameless, for nine seasons, departing the series in 2019. Rossum made her directorial debut on the series in the seventh season for the episode “I Am a Storm,” and directed on the series for the second time for the eighth season episode “Frank’s Northern Shuttle Express.” Rossum also had the opportunity to direct an episode on another John Wells series, TNT’s Animal Kingdom. She also directed an episode of Amazon’s Modern Love series, based on The New York Times column of the same name.
Most recently, Rossum can be seen in the highly anticipated Apple TV+ original series, The Crowded Room alongside Tom Holland and Amanda Seyfried. This limited thriller series, executive produced by Holland, follows a man arrested for his involvement in a New York City shooting in 1979 and will be sure to have viewers on the edge of their seats. In 2022, Rossum could be seen starring in Angelyne, a limited series based on The Hollywood Reporter's investigative feature about the life of Los Angeles’ mysterious billboard icon. Rossum executive produced and starred in the series, with critics hailing her performance as “incandescent and gritty and equal measure,” and “dazzling.” The 5-episode limited series is available on Peacock.
In 2019, Rossum signed a First Look deal with Universal Content Productions and began developing premium scripted content for the studio under her production company, Composition 8. In 2018, Rossum appeared opposite Will Forte in the Netflix original film A Futile and Stupid Gesture. The film follows the success of National Lampoon in the 1970’s and 80’s and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Rossum’s other film credits include Comet opposite Justin Long and Shawn Christensen’s Before I Disappear, based on the 2012 Oscar-winning short “Curfew,” which won the prestigious “Audience Award” at SXSW. Other film credits include Warner Bros.’ Beautiful Creatures, DARE alongside Zach Gilford, Poseidon, The Day After Tomorrow with Jake Gyllenhaal, and the Clint Eastwood-directed drama Mystic River.
Rossum was born in New York City in 1986 and attended the Spence School until 1996. She earned her high school degree through Stanford University’s Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY) and Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development (CTD).
Rossum has worked with Best Friends Animal Society for over a decade, and she is also on the board of the Gorilla Doctors of Rwanda.
Rossum splits her time between New York and Los Angeles.