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Phantom’s Christine
Background:
“Fame is not something I strive for. It’s not healthy. I just want to be happy.”
Emmy Rossum
A mixture of Dutch and Scotch-Irish heritage, actress Emmy Rossum gathered
applause for portraying the Golden Globe-nominated role of the lovely
chorus-singer Chistine in Joel Schumacher’s film version of Andrew Lloyd
Webber's hit stage musical The Phantom of the Opera (2004). A trained opera
singer, who has appeared in 20 different operas singing in five languages,
Rossum was also seen in the big screen’s Mystic River (2003) and The Day After
Tomorrow (2004). The 5' 7" young actress will play Kurt Russel’s daughter in
Wolfgang Petersen's remake of the 1972 disaster classic, Poseidon.
Emmy Grey
Childhood and Family:
"The truth is I probably didn't want to be friends with some of those girls
[from prep school] because I found that a lot of their values were a little
specious. Now, of course, all those girls are calling me and being like, '’We
should have lunch!' And I'm like, 'Um...don't you remember how you didn't like
me that much?'" Emmy Rossum
On September 12, 1986, Emmanuelle Grey Rossum was born in New York, New York.
The only child of Jewish parents (a banker father and a corporate photographer
mother), Emmy Rossum, nicknamed Em, or Emmy Grey, attended an elite private
girl’s school, Spence School, in Manhattan, New York. After graduating in 1996,
Emmy began to home school, enrolling in programs offered by Stanford
University’s Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY) in California and
Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development (CTD) in Chicago. Emmy
is currently taking college courses at Columbia University in New York.
In her off-time, Emmy enjoys her hobbies: reading, horseback riding and ballet.
She still lives with her mother in New York City.
Heavy Preparation
Career:
“I'm heavy on preparation. Some actors come to the set and don't know what scene
they're playing, but that would make me crazy. It's not about control but
perfectionism… my biggest vice and one of my biggest assets.” Emmy Rossum
New York native Emmy Rossum developed her interest in music and was selected to
join the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center as part of the Children’s Chorus
at the tender age of seven. Though Emmy only made $5 a night at the Metropolitan
Opera ("There were horses onstage that were getting $150," said Emmy), she
enjoyed working with such musical talents as Dimitri Hvorostovsky and Denyce
Graves. She also made her singing debut in Tschaikovsky’s 1995 production of
“Queen of Spades” and later appeared in 20 different operas singing in five
languages, including Tim Albery’s production of Benjamin Britten’s “A Midsummer
Night’s Dream.” Additionally, Emmy had the chance to perform at Carnegie Hall in
1997 in a presentation of Berlioz’s “La Damnation de Faust.”
A trained opera singer, Emmy found a new interest in acting. At 11 years old,
she originated the role of Abigail Williams on the CBS longtime-running daytime
serial "As the World Turns" and was spotted as a guest on NBC’s highly-acclaimed
drama “Law and Order.” She then guest starred on an episode of "Hallmark Hall of
Fame" in 1998 and played Caroline Beels in two episodes of "Snoops" in 1999.
Meanwhile, Emmy was also seen in such made-for-TV movies as Only Love (1998;
based on Erich Segal's book; starring Marisa Tomei and Rob Morrow), the two-part
epic "A Will of Their Own" (1998; based on Susan Richards Shreve's novel;
starring Lea Thompson, Ellen Burstyn and Faye Dunaway) and Grace & Glorie (1998;
adapted from Tom Ziegler's play; starring Gena Rowlands and Diane Lane).
In 1998, Emmy debuted on the big screen with a bit part in writer-director
Steven Feder's romantic comedy It Had to Be You (released in 2000, starring
Natasha Henstridge and Michael Vartan). After costarring with Trevor Morgan on
the TV movie Genius (1999), Emmy received the role of Deladis Slocumb in
writer-director Maggie Greenwald's musical drama Songcatcher (2000, starring
Janet McTeer). She was then cast to portray the teenage version of one of
Hollywood's most legendary actresses, Audrey Hepburn, in the ABC biopic,
directed by Steven Robman, The Audrey Hepburn Story (2000, Jennifer Love Hewitt
played the adult version) and appeared as a guest on an episode of ABC’s “The
Practice.” Subsequently, Emmy landed roles in writer-director Éva Gárdos's
poignant drama An American Rhapsody (2001, starring Nastassja Kinski and Tony
Goldwyn), Philippa Cousins' British film Happy Now (2001, with Ioan Gruffudd and
Susan Lynch) and played Sofia Milos' daughter in Dan Ireland's romantic drama
comedy Passionada (2002, also with Jason Isaacs).
Writer-director Alan Hruska cast Emmy to play Nola (2003), an aspiring
songwriter in search of her biological father, in an urban fairy tale, romantic
comedy with the same name. She played Sean Penn's daughter in Clint Eastwood's
award-winning film version of Dennis Lehane's novel, Mystic River (2003, with
Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Tim Robbins and Marcia Gay Harden) before
gaining notice for playing Laura Chapman, costarring with Dennis Quaid and Jake
Gylenhaal, in writer-director Roland Emmerich's global warming disaster movie
The Day After Tomorrow (2004).
"He had the most magnificent apartment I had ever seen and I was floored by it.
I went in and started vocalizing with the accompanist and Andrew walked in as we
were preparing. He didn't say hello, didn't introduce himself and just sat down
in front of me and said, 'Shall we?' I thought to myself it was my one shot so I
had better just stand up and do it, so I didn't introduce myself. I nodded to
the accompanist and I did the two biggest numbers in the show. Then he stood up
and said: 'That was great. I'm Andrew.’” Emmy Rossum (on her audition with
Andrew Lloyd Webber for The Phantom of the Opera, 2004)
Emmy’s real breakthrough arrived in 2004. Filmmaker Joel Schumacher handed her
the female lead role of Phantom’s (played by Gerard Butler) young student and
love admiration, the obscure chorus-singer Chistine Daae, in his screen
adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit stage musical, The Phantom of the Opera
(also based on Gaston Leroux's 20th century French novel; also featuring Patrick
Wilson). Emmy’s solid performance nabbed a nomination at the Golden Globe for
Best Lead Actress (Musical or Comedy) and won National Board of Review,
Broadcast Film Critics Association, and Boston Society of Film Critics Awards.
"I'm convinced wearing those corsets for 14 hours at a time deformed me for
life," she says. "I was 16 years old and still growing at the time of the
shooting. I could barely breathe, and with Christine's intense emotions I
hyperventilated and almost passed out. I think her name is Christine for a
reason. She is Christ-like." Emmy Rossum (on her character Christine)
Currently, Emmy is filming Wolfgang Petersen's remake of the 1972 disaster
classic The Poseidon Adventure (1972), titled Poseidon. In the film, inspired by
Paul Gallico's novel about a luxury ocean liner capsized by a colossal tidal
wave, Emmy will costar as Kurt Russell's daughter Jennifer Ramsey.
"When I was real young, I wanted to be 1,000 different things. In acting, I get
to do that every six weeks." Emmy Rossum
Awards:
