Emmy Rossum's Real Name: Emmanuelle Grey Rossum

Quick answer: Emmy Rossum was born Emmanuelle Grey Rossum on September 12, 1986, in New York City. "Emmy" is short for Emmanuelle (Britannica; TV Guide).

Child singer at the Met

Rossum was raised in Manhattan by her mother, Cheryl Rossum, a photographer. At age seven she joined the Metropolitan Opera Children's Chorus, and over about five years she performed in more than 20 operas, including La Bohème and Carmen, alongside stars such as Plácido Domingo. She was later home-schooled and graduated from Spence School's program at 15 (Britannica).

Screen breakthrough

• Songcatcher (2000), one of her early film roles.
• Mystic River (2003): as Katie Markum, the murdered daughter in Clint Eastwood's film.
• The Day After Tomorrow (2004).
• The Phantom of the Opera (2004): she sang Christine Daaé in Joel Schumacher's film of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical and earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.

Shameless and Angelyne

From 2011 to 2019, Rossum starred as Fiona Gallagher on Showtime's Shameless, the eldest sibling holding together a chaotic Chicago family. She also directed episodes. In 2017 she won equal pay with co-star William H. Macy after negotiations, a case widely covered as an example of pay equity in TV. In 2022 she played the Los Angeles billboard icon in Peacock's Angelyne, which she also executive-produced. She has released music too, including the album Inside Out (2007).

Personal life

Rossum married TV writer and producer Sam Esmail, creator of Mr. Robot, in 2017. They have two daughters.