Emmanuelle Grey “Emmy” 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. Rossum was named after her great-grandfather, whose surname was Rossum. She is of Russian Jewish descent on her mother’s side.
Rossum displayed an early aptitude for singing and acting. At age seven, she joined the Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus, where she performed in over 20 operas in five languages, including productions with Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. She attended Spence School, a private school in Manhattan, but dropped out to pursue acting. She later earned her GED at age 15.
Rossum began her acting career with minor roles in television series such as “Law & Order” and “As the World Turns” in the late 1990s. Her early film roles included “Songcatcher” (2000), which earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Debut Performance, and “An American Rhapsody” (2001).
Rossum gained significant recognition for her role as Laura Chapman in Clint Eastwood’s “Mystic River” (2003). In 2004, she starred as Emmy Evans in the disaster film “The Day After Tomorrow,” directed by Roland Emmerich. Her breakthrough role came in 2004 when she played Christine Daaé in the film adaptation of “The Phantom of the Opera,” directed by Joel Schumacher. Her performance earned her critical acclaim and a Golden Globe Award nomination.
From 2011 to 2019, Rossum starred as Fiona Gallagher in the Showtime television series “Shameless,” a role that significantly elevated her profile. She received critical praise for her portrayal of the eldest sibling in a dysfunctional family struggling to survive. She also directed several episodes of “Shameless.”
Notable films featuring Emmy Rossum include: