Many of us recognize Emmy Rossum as the brave and selfless eldest Gallagher sibling, Fiona, on Showtime’s Shameless. Some were introduced to the versatile actress in the mid-2000’s after gaining widespread recognition for her roles in Mystic River, The Day After Tomorrow and The Phantom of the Opera. Perhaps you just discovered her in February when she took on the sought-after role of seductress, Ridley Duchannes, in the film adaptation of Beautiful Creatures. Or maybe, just maybe, you remember her as Number 6 on our list of the ‘Top 50 Hottest Jewish Women’? (an honor that Joan Rivers recently mentioned on E!’s Fashion Police).

What you may be surprised to learn is that Rossum began her career in the spotlight as an opera singer, joining the Metropolitan Opera Children’s chorus at the age of 7. Now, almost 20 years later, she has decided to return to her first love with the release of Sentimental Journey, a full-length album featuring covers of classic songs from the 1920’s-60’s.

Emmy Rossum joined us for a conversation about playing Fiona on Shameless, taking on Ridley in Beautiful Creatures, her excitement about returning to her musical roots, and shared some fun facts her fans may not already know.

ASHLEY BAYLEN (AB): 2013 looks like it’s going to be a huge year for you, starting with the newest season of Shameless, your new album, and Beautiful Creatures. Congrats! You are officially being called a “multi-hyphenate”. How does it feel?

EMMY ROSSUM (ER):Overwhelming and exciting. I try to keep my expectations in check and remain humble and grateful for all the opportunities. I love singing and acting equally, so getting to pursue both this year has been really fulfilling.

AB: I have to admit that Shameless is one of my favorite shows currently on TV, and I know I’m going to get criticized for saying this, but I actually prefer the US version to the original UK one, mostly due to the incredibly strong cast. Fiona is such a complex character. What did you do to prepare for this role initially?

ER: I tried to put myself in her shoes. I'm an only child but I have always wanted a big rowdy family so this was a dream come true. I tried to figure out who she was inside. A young woman who has had no role model, she is a sister, a daughter, and a mother figure.

AB: Do you feel that you have grown and evolved with Fiona over the seasons?

ER: I do. Characters always rub off on me. She has made me bolder and I think I've made her softer.





Emmy as Fiona Gallagher on Shameless

AB: Do Emmy and Fiona have much in common? Or, in the inverse, are there any stark differences?

ER: We are very different. She has grown up motherless with 5 siblings on the south side of Chicago. I'm an only child of a single mom and grew up in Manhattan. That's why she's so fun to play.

AB: Before landing the role in Shameless and acting in more than 10 films, you were a member of the Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus in New York. Would you say that music is your first passion?

ER: It definitely was my first passion but isn't my only passion now!

Find out more about Emmy's new album and Beautiful Creatures on the next page!