Emmy Rossum

Emmy Rossum (born Emmanuelle Grey Rossum) is an actress, singer and director best known for playing Fiona Gallagher on Showtime’s Shameless and for her breakout performance in The Phantom of the Opera. Rossum spent her childhood in New York City, where she was raised by her mother, a corporate photographer. She began performing at a young age with the Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus, where she sang alongside renowned opera stars. She attended the Spence School before earning her high school diploma through Stanford University’s Education Program for Gifted Youth at age 15. She later studied French, art history and philosophy at Columbia University.

Rossum launched her acting career as a child, appearing in television shows and films including As the World Turns and Songcatcher (2000). Her rise to fame came with roles in Mystic River (2003) and The Day After Tomorrow (2004), but it was her portrayal of Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera (2004) that established her as a Hollywood star. She later reached an even wider audience as Fiona Gallagher on the Showtime dramedy Shameless, starring on the hit series from 2011 to 2019.

In addition to Shameless, Rossum’s notable credits include Poseidon (2006), Beautiful Creatures (2013), Angelyne and The Crowded Room. She has ventured into music and released her debut album, Inside Out, in 2007. She was awarded Saturn Award and earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in The Phantom on the Opera and earned a Critics’ Choice nomination for her role on Shameless.

Rossum was married to music executive Justin Siegel from 2008 to 2010. She began dating writer-director Sam Esmail in 2013 after working together on Comet. The couple became engaged in 2015 and married in 2017. The pair share a daughter born in 2021 and a son born in 2023.