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Cover Story: Emmy Rossum
Young Hollywood's Award Hog!
Written by: Laura O
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Born in New York City, Ms Rossum was born in the perfect place to begin her career in showbiz. In recent interviews, Emmy claims that she has always loved music and can't remember a time when she wasn't banging a beat on the dining room table. At age seven, Emmy became a part of her school's chorus and was approached by her teacher that she had perfect intonation and should audition at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. It took almost a year to get an audition but when the time came, Emmy auditioned and got in. So what did the young Rossum sing for her audition? "I had went and prepared all of these songs that I had learned in school growing up, and all they wanted to hear was Happy Birthday," Emmy claimed in a recent interview with late night talk show host Craig Ferguson.
Emmy stayed with the Met for five years, studying stagecraft and classical vocal technique until she was twelve when Emmy grew too tall for the Children's Chorus costumes. Emmy performed in over 20 different operas in the duration of her time with the Met, singing in five different languages, including Italian, French, Spanish, English, and Scots-Irish. She also had the pleasure working alongside Placido Domingo and Denise Graves. Emmy also worked with the infamous director Franco Zefferelli in his version of Carmen.
After the opera, Emmy left to pursue acting. She signed with an agent and began auditioning for acting roles. In 1997, Emmy made a television debut with a recurring role on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns. Emmy went on to make guest appearances on hit shows such as Law & Order and The Practice. The following year in 1998, Emmy also appeared in two television movies and a miniseries and was nominated for a Young Artist Award in 1998 for her role in the TV movie Genius. She also won the role of a teenage Audrey Hepburn in the ABC TV movie The Audrey Hepburn Story which Emmy received rave reviews for.
In 2000, Emmy made her big-screen debut in the tiny indie movie Songcatcher which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and won a Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble Performance. Emmy also received a Independent Spirit Award nomination and sang in Scots-Irish ballad style and sang a duet with Dolly Parton. After Songcatcher, Emmy went on to more mainstream Hollywood movies and can be seen in a supporting role opposite Academy-Award winner Sean Penn in the Clint Eastwood directed film Mystic River. Emmy received rave reviews for her performance in this Academy Award nominated film. One review stated that "Emmy played the role with such innocence and charm that it made her violent death very tragic". She was also seen in the Roland Emmerich eco-disaster film The Day After Tomorrow opposite Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal for which she was nominated for a MTV Movie Award.
But Emmy's major breakthrough came when she starred in the Joel Schumacher directed movie adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's masterpiece The Phantom of the Opera. After an international search for talent, Emmy was chosen for the role of Christine Daae for her lyrical soprano voice and excellent acting ability to play the opera singer who becomes the object of the Phantom's obesession. The role won Emmy several major awards, including a Critic's Choice Award for Best Young Actress, the National Board of Review Best Breakthrough Actress and won her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.
Emmy in Poseiden |
Where will Emmy be seen next? In May, we can see Emmy starring opposite Kurt Russell and Josh Lucas in the Wolfgang Peterson remake of the 1972 hit "Poseidon", which Emmy plays Jennifer Rasmey. Word is also out that Emmy has signed a record deal and is already in the studio recording. Emmy claims that she is even writing lyrics and claims they are deep, soulful and different from what you will hear on today's radio. She will also continue to work on her voice for future roles.
Emmy is one of today's most talented young actresses. I think she is what Hollywood really needs. With other mega 'teen' stars like Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff entertaining the teen audiences, Emmy is a fresh face and provides a fresh talent that Hollywood should see more of. She is one of the most convincing actresses one will meet. She focuses more on the character she plays then any other actress I know of. I hope Emmy does win a Golden Globe one day, or an Oscar. She is just what young Hollywood needs. Not only does she do so well as an actress, but doesn't party out of control or do drugs like her fellow peers. She also steers clear of Hollywood's obsession with beauty such as eating disorders and plastic surgery.
For more on Emmy visit the great Emmy Rossum fansite Emmy Rossum Fan
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