Emmy Rossum

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmy_Rossum

Emmanuelle Grey "Emmy" Rossum (born September 12, 1986) is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She has starred in movies including Songcatcher (2000), An American Rhapsody, (2001) and Passionada (2002). Her role in Mystic River (2003) garnered her wider recognition. She starred in the blockbuster film The Day After Tomorrow (2004) and received critical acclaim for her performance in The Phantom of the Opera (2004). She has since starred in Poseidon (2006), Dragonball: Evolution (2009), Dare (2009) and Beautiful Creatures (2013).

In 2007, Rossum released her debut album, Inside Out. She also released a Christmas EP the same year, titled Carol of the Bells. She currently stars on the Showtime dramedy Shameless, as Fiona Gallagher.

Early life

Rossum was born in New York City. She is the only child of Cheryl Rossum, a single mother who worked as a corporate photographer. Rossum's mother is Jewish and her father is Protestant. Rossum has stated that her mother instilled in her the "Jewish code of ethics and morals". Her mother's family is Russian Jewish and her father has English and Dutch ancestry. Her parents separated while her mother was pregnant; as of 2007, she had met her father twice. She was named after her great-grandfather, whose first name was Emanuel, using the feminine spelling Emmanuelle. She is a relative, by marriage, of designer Vera Wang (Wang was married to Rossum's cousin).

Upon singing "Happy Birthday" in all twelve keys, Rossum was welcomed to join the Metropolitan Opera Children's Chorus by chorus director Elena Doria at the age of seven. Over the course of five years, she sang onstage with the chorus and had the chance to perform with other opera greats, such as Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. For anywhere from $5 to $10 a night, Rossum sang in six different languages in 20 different 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. Rossum joked in interviews that her vocal talent and affinity for music developed because her mother always listened to classical music and operas while she was pregnant with her.

By age twelve, Rossum had grown too big for children's costumes. An increasing interest in pursuing acting led to taking classes with Flo Salant Greenberg of The New Actors Workshop in New York City. She also hired an agent and auditioned for many acting roles. Rossum attended the Spence School, a private school in Manhattan, for years, 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). She later attended Columbia University.

Acting career

Rossum's television debut was in 1997, making a guest appearance on Law & Order as Alison Martin. In 1999, she had a recurring role as the original Abigail Williams in the long running daytime soap opera As the World Turns. She also had a guest role as Caroline Beels in Snoops. Rossum was nominated for a Young Artist Award in 1999 for Best Performance in a TV Movie for her work in the made-for-TV movie, Genius. Following that movie, she portrayed a young Audrey Hepburn in the ABC TV movie, The Audrey Hepburn Story (2000). Rossum made her silver screen debut 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, who was an aspiring songwriter. In her first major studio film, Clint Eastwood's Mystic River, Rossum starred as Katie Markum, the ill-fated daughter of small-business owner Jimmy Markum, played by Sean Penn. As Katie, Rossum was said to have "projected an aura of innocence that made her character's tragic death memorable and heartbreaking."

Following Mystic River, Rossum had a breakthrough role as Laura Chapman in the Roland Emmerich eco-disaster film The Day After Tomorrow. She later returned to New York, where she was the last to audition, in full costume and make-up, for the coveted role of Christine Daae in the on-screen adaptation of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. Following an international search for talent, and having nearly missed the audition on account of a family engagement, Rossum was asked to audition in person for Webber at his home in New York. “When I arrived, he just said, ‘Shall we?’ meaning I was to sing. And I did," Rossum has said of the audition. After seeing her audition, Webber felt she proved her ability to play the young opera singer who becomes the object of the Phantom's obsessive love. For her role as Christine Daae, Rossum received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a musical or comedy. She is the youngest actress ever to be nominated for that particular award. She also received a Critics' Choice Award for Best Young Actress, along with a Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor and other awards.

In 2006, Rossum appeared in Poseidon – Wolfgang Petersen's high-budget remake of the disaster film The Poseidon Adventure. She played Jennifer Ramsey, the daughter of Kurt Russell's character, Robert Ramsey. As Jennifer, she is described as a 19-year-old heroine because she is not a damsel in distress, and is very proactive and strong in all situations. 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 Dragonball Evolution. Rossum described her action role in Dragonball as the hardest thing she's ever done.

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 the summer of 2011, Rossum starred in DJ Caruso's social film, Inside. Sponsored by Intel and Toshiba, the online film aired in several segments, incorporating multiple social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Inside used the ideas from the fans to shape the plot, as well as have contests to have fans make cameo appearances via Facebook video. In 2012, in addition to filming the third season of Shameless, Rossum signed onto two film projects. The first was a supporting role in Beautiful Creatures, which was released in 2013, and was based on the popular YA fantasy novel of the same name. The second was a lead in the drama You're Not You, opposite Hilary Swank. In June 2013, it was announced that Rossum would play the female lead opposite Justin Long in the indie romantic comedy Comet. Shortly after wrapping filming on Comet in July 2013, Rossum was back at work, shooting another feature length film called Before I Disappear in New York, based on the 2012 Oscar-winning short film, Curfew.

Shameless

In December 2009, Rossum joined the cast of the Showtime dramedy series pilot Shameless, based on the hit British series of the same name. The series co-stars William H. Macy and Justin Chatwin. In April 2010, Showtime announced that they would be picking up the series for a full season of twelve episodes. Production began in September 2010 and continued through the fall with shooting taking place in Los Angeles and Chicago. The show was renewed for a second season on February 28, 2011, and began shooting in Chicago on August 22, 2011. Season two premiered on January 8, 2012. An order for a third season was commissioned in February 2012. Rossum has received high critical acclaim for her performance. The positive response to the show continued into its third season and it was renewed for a fourth season on January 29, 2013.

Music career

After her role in The Phantom of the Opera, Rossum was offered several deals to record classical albums, but refused, opting to create an album of contemporary, more mainstream music. "I was inspired to cut this album because I'm so frustrated listening to the radio these days," Rossum lamented. "There is so little emotional honesty." Regarding the sound and style of her music, she said, "It's pop music, but not Britney Spears bubblegum pop. I want it to have a David Gray or Annie Lennox feel. I've been spending up to 12 hours a day in the studio." Rossum cites Sarah McLachlan, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion and Faith Hill as some of her influences. 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. charts. For the promotion of the record, Geffen Records featured the song, "Slow Me Down," as part of the second volume of Hollywood Records' Girl Next compilation album, which was released on July 10, 2007. Later that year, she was chosen as Yahoo's "Who's Next" artist of the month and a "One to Watch" by MSN. In December 2007, Rossum released three Christmas songs on the EP Carol of the Bells. It was also this year that Rossum sang the national anthem at the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Infineon Raceway and performed at the first ever Perez Hilton Presents event at the El Rey Theatre in Hollywood. On October 27, 2007, Rossum again sang the national anthem at the New Jersey Devils's first home game of the 2007–08 NHL season, which was also the first game the team played in the newly constructed Prudential Center. She also performed at the Hollywood Christmas Celebration at the Grove in Los Angeles 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 the summer of 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. The song is available on the album's deluxe edition.

In November 2012, Rossum announced that her second album would be released on Warner Bros. Records. Sentimental Journey was released on January 29, 2013. Unlike Inside Out on which Rossum wrote the songs herself, Sentimental Journey is a collection of covers of classic songs that span the ‘20s to the ‘60s. Rossum selected these songs because " Classics, jazz, and standards really infused my childhood and so it felt quite natural to finally make this record.” Rossum designed the album as a musical calendar that takes the listener through an emotional journey over all the months of a year "“Each song needed to either lyrically or emotionally reflect the corresponding month.” Sentimental Journey peaked at 92 on the U.S. Charts. It also hit number one on the US Billboard Charts Top Jazz Albums.

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

Charity work and public service campaigns

Rossum is a YouthAIDS ambassador. She is also the official spokesperson for "PiNKiTUDE" – a campaign to help raise breast cancer awareness. Additionally, Rossum is an environmentalist. She has appeared in several 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. On May 26, 2009, Emmy Rossum attended a march in West Hollywood California protesting the California Supreme Court's ruling to uphold Proposition 8.

Personal life

Rossum dated French heir and art dealer David Wildenstein from 2004 to 2005. Rossum married music executive Justin Siegel in February 2008. He filed for divorce on September 25, 2009, in Los Angeles, citing irreconcilable differences. In October 2009, Rossum was reported to be dating Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz, with whom she had toured during the summer of 2009. Rossum and Duritz broke up in September 2010, and her divorce from Siegel was finalized three months later in December 2010. Rossum dated her co-star Tyler Jacob Moore from the show Shameless from 2011 to 2013. Rossum is currently dating Sam Esmail, the director and writer of Comet, whom she met while filming the movie in 2013.

Rossum has celiac disease, an autoimmune disease in which the body cannot tolerate any foods containing gluten. She revealed her condition on MTV News after being given a cupcake on-camera to celebrate her 22nd birthday; she was able to eat only the frosting. Rossum has stated that she is "a spiritual person, but I'm not especially religious." In April 2012, Shalom Life ranked her Number 6 on its list of “the 50 most talented, intelligent, funny, and gorgeous Jewish women in the world."

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes

1996 Grace & Glorie Luanne TV Movie 1998 Only Love Lily TV Movie 1999 Genius Claire Addison TV Movie Nominated – Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Television film or Pilot – Supporting Young Actress 2000 The Audrey Hepburn Story Young Audrey Hepburn TV Movie 2000 Songcatcher Deladis Slocumb Nominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance 2000 It Had to Be You Young Girl 2001 An American Rhapsody Sheila - age 15 2001 Happy Now Nicky Trent / Jenny Thomas 2002 Passionada Vicky Amonte 2003 Nola Nola 2003 Mystic River Katie Markum 2004 The Day After Tomorrow Laura Chapman Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance 2004 The Phantom of the Opera Christine Daaé Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Young Performer National Board of Review Award for Best Breakthrough Performance by an Actress Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young Actress Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated – Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Breakthrough Performance Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy 2006 Poseidon Jennifer Ramsey 2009 Dragonball: Evolution Bulma 2009 Dare Alexa Walker Young Hollywood Award at the Savannah Film Festival 2011 Inside Christina Perasso 2013 Beautiful Creatures Ridley Duchannes 2014 Before I Disappear Maggie Nominated – Best Supporting Actress in a Feature at the Northeast Film Festival 2014 You're Not You Bec Post-production 2014 Comet Kimberly Post-production Television Year Title Role Notes 1997 Law & Order Alison Martin Episode: "Ritual" 1998 A Will of Their Own Young Sarah Mini-series 1999 Snoops Caroline Beels 2 episodes 1999 As the World Turns Abigail Williams 2001 The Practice Allison Ellison Episode: "The Candidate" 2011–present Shameless Fiona Gallagher 49 episodes

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated Work Result

2000 Young Artist Award Best Performance in a TV Movie or Pilot – Supporting Young Actress Genius Nominated 2001 Film Independent Spirit Award Best Debut Performance Songcatcher Nominated 2004 National Board of Review Best Breakthrough Performance by an Actress The Phantom of the Opera Won 2005 Saturn Award Best Performance by a Younger Actor Won Broadcast Film Critics Association Award Best Young Actress Won Golden Globe Award Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Nominated Online Film Critics Society Award Best Breakthrough Performance Nominated Satellite Award Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical Nominated Young Artist Award Best Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young Actress Won MTV Movie Award Breakthrough Female The Day After Tomorrow Nominated 2009 Savannah Film Festival Young Hollywood Award Dare Won 2012 Critics' Choice Television Award Best Actress in a Drama Series Shameless Nominated 2012 PRISM Performance in a Comedy Series Nominated 2013 Golden Europe Television Award Outstanding Lead Actress – Drama Series Nominated 2014 Critics' Choice Television Award Best Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated Young Hollywood Awards Fan Favorite Actor – Female Herself Nominated Young Hollywood Awards You're So Fancy Nominated Northeast Film Festival Best Supporting Actress in a Feature Before I Disappear Won

Discography

Albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions US US Heat US New Age Inside Out Release date: October 23, 2007 Label: Geffen Records Formats: CD, digital download 199 3 2 Sentimental Journey Release date: January 29, 2013 Label: Warner Bros. Records Formats: CD, digital download 92 — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart

Extended plays

Title Album details Carol of the Bells Release date: November 27, 2007 Label: Geffen Records Formats: CD, digital download

Singles

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

Music videos

Year Title Director

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