Emmy Rossum

Emmanuelle Grey Rossum Esmail (born September 12, 1986) is an American actress and singer. Her accolades include a Critics' Choice Award and a Saturn Award, in addition to nominations for a Golden Globe Award and an Independent Spirit Award.

Born and raised in New York City, Rossum began professionally performing as a child with the Metropolitan Opera. Early on-screen roles included Genius (1999), Songcatcher (2000), Passionada (2002), and Nola (2003). At sixteen, she was cast in her breakthrough role in Mystic River (2003). Rossum starred in the sci-fi film The Day After Tomorrow (2004), and she received critical acclaim for her performance in the leading role of Christine Daaé in the film adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera (2004). She acted in the films Poseidon (2006), Dragonball: Evolution (2009), Inside (2011), Beautiful Creatures (2013), Comet (2014), You're Not You (2014), and Cold Pursuit (2019).

In television, Rossum is best known for her portrayal of Fiona Gallagher in the television series Shameless (2011–2019). Since the mid-2010s, she has directed and produced television, including the 2022 Peacock series Angelyne in which she also starred. As of 2026, she is starring in the Hulu series Furious.

In 2007, Rossum released her debut album, Inside Out. She released a Christmas EP the same year, titled Carol of the Bells. In 2013, she released a follow-up album called Sentimental Journey.

Early life Emmanuelle Grey Rossum was born on September 12, 1986, in New York City. She is the only child of Cheryl Rossum, a single mother who worked as a corporate photographer. Her parents separated while her mother was pregnant, and as of 2007, she had met her father only twice.

Rossum's mother is of Russian Jewish descent, and her father is Protestant of English and Dutch ancestry. Rossum identifies as Jewish and has stated that her mother instilled in her the "Jewish code of ethics and morals". She was named for her maternal great-grandfather, whose first name was Emanuel, using the feminine spelling.

Upon singing "Happy Birthday" in all 12 keys, Rossum was welcomed to join the Metropolitan Opera Children's Chorus by chorus director Elena Doria at age seven. Over the course of five years she sang onstage with the chorus and had the chance to perform with singers such as Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. For anywhere from $5 to $10 a night, Rossum sang in six languages in 20 operas, including La bohème, Turandot, a Carnegie Hall presentation of La damnation de Faust, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. She also worked under the direction of Franco Zeffirelli in Carmen.

An increasing interest in pursuing acting led to taking classes with Flo Salant Greenberg of The New Actors Workshop in New York City. She has also worked with acting coach Terry Knickerbocker.

Rossum attended the Spence School, a private school in Manhattan, before dropping out to pursue career opportunities. She received her high school diploma at 15 years old via online-extension courses offered by Stanford University's Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY).

Career Acting Rossum's television debut was in August 1997, as the original Abigail Williams in the daytime soap opera As the World Turns. She then portrayed a young Audrey Hepburn in the ABC television film The Audrey Hepburn Story (2000).

Rossum made her film debut at 13, in 2000's Songcatcher, as Deladis Slocumb, an Appalachian orphan. Debuting at the Sundance Film Festival, the film won the Special Jury Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance. For her role, Rossum received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Debut Performance and also had the opportunity to sing a duet with Dolly Parton on the Songcatcher soundtrack. Variety magazine named Rossum as "One of the Ten to Watch" in 2000.

In Nola (2003), Rossum played the title character, an aspiring songwriter. In her first major studio film, Clint Eastwood's Mystic River (2003), Rossum starred as Katie Markum, the ill-fated daughter of small-business owner Jimmy Markum, played by Sean Penn.

Rossum had a breakthrough role as Laura Chapman in the sci-fi-disaster film The Day After Tomorrow (2004). She later returned to New York, where she was the last to audition, in full costume and make-up, for the role of Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera (2004), the onscreen adaptation of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of the same name. After having nearly missed the audition due to a family engagement, Rossum was asked to audition in person for Lloyd Webber at his home in New York. She also received a Critics' Choice Award for Best Young Actress, along with a Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.

In 2006, Rossum appeared in Poseidon, Wolfgang Petersen's remake of the disaster film The Poseidon Adventure. She played Jennifer Ramsey, the daughter of Kurt Russell's character. Rossum described the character as being proactive and strong in all situations, rather than a damsel in distress. Rossum also appeared as Juliet Capulet in a 2006 Williamstown Theatre Festival production of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. In early 2009, Rossum appeared in the poorly received Dragonball Evolution. Her next big screen venture was the indie Dare, which was an official selection of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. In November 2009, Rossum appeared in Broadway's 24 Hour Plays in which actors, writers, and directors collaborate to produce, and perform six one-act plays within 24 hours to benefit the Urban Arts Partnership. Rossum appeared in Warren Leight's "Daily Bread", directed by Lucie Tiberghien.

In December 2009, Rossum joined the cast of the Showtime dramedy series Shameless, based on the British series of the same title. The series co-stars William H. Macy. Rossum plays the oldest sister of a large, motherless family, functioning as a guardian/surrogate mother to her five younger siblings. The series has received consistent acclaim, with Rossum's performance being universally praised. She made her directorial debut with episode four of season seven, "I Am a Storm." In December 2016, Rossum was in a contract dispute with the show's producers over her desire for a salary equal to that of co-star Macy and back pay for the differential over seven seasons, which was resolved later that month. Following this news, Shameless was renewed for its eighth season beginning production in 2017. In August 2018, Rossum announced her departure from Shameless after nine seasons.

In mid-2011, Rossum starred in D. J. Caruso's social film, Inside; the online film aired in several segments, incorporating multiple social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. The following year, Rossum played Ridley, a siren Caster in Beautiful Creatures (2013), based on the young adult fantasy novel of the same name. Although the film was released to mixed reviews, Rossum's performance was praised by critics and fans. She also starred in the drama You're Not You as Bec, an inexperienced caregiver who looks after and befriends Kate (Hilary Swank), who suffers from the degenerative disease ALS. By June 2013, Rossum was cast as the female lead opposite Justin Long in the independent romantic comedy Comet, which was directed by Sam Esmail, to whom she later became engaged. Afterward she appeared in the film Before I Disappear (2014), based on the Academy Award-winning short film Curfew.

In 2019, it was announced that Rossum would star in Angelyne, a drama series co-produced by her husband and longtime collaborator Sam Esmail, for Peacock, the new streaming service by NBC. The limited series was her first lead role after Shameless and was based on The Hollywood Reporter senior writer Gary Baum's investigative feature on the LA billboard model Angelyne.

In 2024, Rossum starred alongside Zoë Winters in an Off-Broadway staging of Amy Berryman's play Walden, directed by Whitney White. The play was the final production by Second Stage Theater in the Tony Kiser Theater.

Music After her role in The Phantom of the Opera, Rossum was offered several deals to record classical music albums, but refused, opting to create an album of contemporary, more mainstream music. She explained it by feeling frustrated because of the lack of "emotional honesty" in music played in radios. Rossum's album Inside Out was produced by Stuart Brawley. It was released on October 23, 2007, and peaked at 199 in the U.S. Billboard charts. and the Lighting of the Great Tree in Atlanta, Georgia.

She joined Counting Crows, Augustana, and Michael Franti & Spearhead as a "special guest" for select performances of the "Traveling Circus and Medicine Show" tour in early 2009.

In 2010, Rossum sang a song called "Cruel One" on singer Alex Band's debut solo album We've All Been There. On the track she sings with Band, and Chantal Kreviazuk.

Rossum released the Warner Bros. Records album Sentimental Journey on January 29, 2013. Unlike Inside Out on which Rossum wrote the songs herself, the album is a collection of covers of songs from the 1920s to 1960s. Sentimental Journey peaked at 92 on the U.S. Billboard charts, and number one in Jazz Albums.

Rossum describes herself as a lyric soprano, while saying her voice is still developing. She continues to train vocally at ZajacStudio, a studio run by soprano Joann C. Zajac.

Charity work and advocacy Rossum was a YouthAIDS ambassador. In 2008, she was signed as the spokesperson for Pinkitude, an apparel line inspired by the Pink Panther character, to help raise breast cancer awareness. In 2010, she appeared in public service announcements for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Action Fund. She also works with Global Green USA to raise money for environmental protection and awareness of ecological issues. In 2015, Rossum campaigned with the Best Friends Animal Society to encourage animal adoption.

On May 26, 2009, Rossum attended a march in West Hollywood California protesting the California Supreme Court's ruling to uphold Proposition 8.

In February 2024, Rossum was one of 400 celebrities who signed an open letter by Creative Community for Peace denouncing attempts to remove Israel from Eurovision 2024 amid the Gaza war.

Personal life

Rossum married Justin Siegel in February 2008, although they publicly presented themselves as in an unmarried relationship. Nineteen months later, in September 2009, he filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce was finalized on December 28, 2010.

Rossum dated musician Adam Duritz from 2009 to 2010.

In 2013, Rossum began dating writer/director Sam Esmail. They got engaged two years later, in August 2015. They married on May 29, 2017, at the Central Synagogue in New York City. The couple have two children: a daughter, born May 2021, and a son, born April 2023.

Rossum has celiac disease and predominantly hyperactive ADHD and has been on medication for the latter since childhood.

The designer Vera Wang was married to Rossum's cousin, investor and real-estate developer Arthur P. Becker from 1989 to 2012.

Rossum has described herself as "a spiritual person, but not especially religious."

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 2000 Songcatcher Deladis Slocumb It Had to Be You Young Girl 2001 Sheila – age 15 Happy Now? Nicky Trent / Jenny Thomas 2002 Passionada Vicky Amonte 2003 Nola Nola Mystic River Katie Markum 2004 Laura Chapman Christine Daaé 2006 Poseidon Jennifer Ramsey 2009 Dragonball Evolution Bulma Dare Alexa Walker 2011 Inside Christina Perasso 2013 Beautiful Creatures Ridley Duchannes 2014 Before I Disappear Maggie Comet Kimberly Also executive producer You're Not You Bec 2018 Kathryn Walker That's Harassment Journalist Short film 2019 Cold Pursuit Kim Dash TBA Rubber Hut Post-production

Television Year Title Role Notes 1997 Law & Order Alison Martin Episode: "Ritual" 1998 As the World Turns Abigail Williams Episode air date January 2, 1998 Young Sarah Episode: "Episode One" Only Love Lily Television film Grace & Glorie Luanne 1999 Snoops Caroline Beels Episodes: "Separation Anxiety" and "Blood Lines" Genius Claire Addison Television film 2000 Young Audrey Hepburn 2001 Allison Ellison Episode: "The Candidate" 2008 I Love the New Millennium Herself Reality series, 3 episodes 2011–2019 Shameless Fiona Gallagher Main role (seasons 1–9), 110 episodesDirector, episodes: "I Am a Storm" and "Frank's Northern Shuttle Express" 2017 Animal Kingdom Director, episode: "Broken Boards" 2019 Mr. Robot Carol Singer Episode: "401 Unauthorized"; uncredited Modern Love Director, episode: "So He Looked Like Dad. It Was Just Dinner, Right?" 2022 Angelyne Angelyne Miniseries, 5 episodes; also executive producer 2023 The Crowded Room Candy Sullivan Miniseries, 9 episodes 2026–present Furious Alice Black Main role; also executive producer

Awards and nominations

Discography Albums / EPs Title Album details Peak chart positions US Inside Out Release date: October 23, 2007 Label: Geffen Records Formats: CD, digital download 199 — 2 Carol of the Bells (EP) Release date: November 27, 2007 Label: Geffen Records Formats: CD, digital download — — — Sentimental Journey Release date: January 29, 2013 Label: Warner Bros. Records Formats: CD, digital download 92 1 — "—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles Year Title Peak chart positions AlbumCAN Digital 2007 "Slow Me Down" 37 Inside Out 2012 "Pretty Paper" — Sentimental Journey

Soundtrack appearances Title Year Other artist(s) Album "Think of Me" 2004 Patrick Wilson The Phantom of the Opera "Angel of Music" Jennifer Ellison and Gerard Butler "The Mirror (Angel of Music)" Gerard Butler "The Phantom of the Opera" Gerard Butler "I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt It" Gerard Butler "Prima Donna" Ciarán Hinds, Simon Callow, Margaret Preece, Miranda Richardson, Victor McGuire, Jennifer Ellison and Patrick Wilson "Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh/Il Muto" Ciarán Hinds, Simon Callow, Margaret Preece, Victor McGuire, Gerard Butler, Jennifer Ellison and Kevin McNally "Why Have You Brought Me Here/Raoul I've Been There" Patrick Wilson "All I Ask of You" Patrick Wilson "All I Ask of You (Reprise)" Gerard Butler and Patrick Wilson "Masquerade/Why So Silent" Ciarán Hinds, Simon Callow, Margaret Preece, Victor McGuire, Jennifer Ellison, Miranda Richardson, Patrick Wilson and Gerard Butler "Journey to the Cemetery" "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" "Wandering Child" Gerard Butler "The Swordfight" Gerard Butler and Patrick Wilson "We Have All Been Blind" Gerard Butler and Patrick Wilson "Don Juan" Victor McGuire and Gerard Butler "The Point of No Return/Chandelier Crash" Gerard Butler "Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer" Gerard Butler and Patrick Wilson

Music videos YearTitleDirector 2007 "Slow Me Down" Thomas Kloss "The Great Divide" "Inside Out" "Stay" "Falling" Adam Egypt Mortimer