Emmanuelle Grey Rossum, popularly known as Emmy Rossum was born September 12, 1986 and is an American actress and singer.


Emmy Rossum's Early Life
Emmy Rossum was born in New York City to a Jewish American family; her father is a banker and her mother is a corporate photographer. At age seven, she joined the Metropolitan Opera Children's Chorus, where she found herself in the company of many fellow students from elite private schools.


Emmy Rossum was enrolled at the prestigious all-girl Spence School in Manhattan until administrators upset with her frequent absences delivered an ultimatum - forego all career opportunities in order to concentrate on schoolwork, or withdraw. Emmy Rossum opted for the latter, and recently graduated from high school after completing "virtual classes" sponsored online by Stanford University. Emmy Rossum left the school to pursue an acting career.


Emmy Rossum Career

Emmy Rossum appeared in a number of productions as a child in the Metropolitan Opera Children's Chorus, including Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades and the acclaimed Franco Zeffirelli-directed Carmen. Emmy Russom has sung with performers as diverse as tenor Plácido Domingo and country singer Dolly Parton.


Her television appearances include Law & Order (1997), As the World Turns (1999), and The Practice (2001). She also portrayed the teenage Audrey Hepburn in the TV biopic The Audrey Hepburn Story starring Jennifer Love Hewitt (2000).



Emmy Rossum's films include Songcatcher and It Had to Be You (2000 film) (both in 2000), Mystic River (film) (2003), and The Day After Tomorrow and The Phantom of the Opera (in which she was given the role of Christine Daae, co-starring beside Gerard Butler and Patrick Wilson.), both in 2004. Emmy Rossum had never seen the stage version of Phantom of the Opera prior to filming. Emmy Rossum studied Degas' paintings of ballerinas in the Musee d'Orsay to learn how to stand like one for her role in The Phantom of the Opera.


Emmy Rossum's Personal Life


Emmy Rossum lives with her mother in Manhattan where she was born. Emmy Rossum dated David Wildenstein (2004-2005), a member of the French billionaire art-dealing Wildenstein family, but they have since broken up.


Emmy Rossum has decided not to attend college but has enrolled in some extension courses offered at Columbia University. She has already completed a course in art history, being inspired by her study of Degas in Paris.




Films Emmy Rossum Has Been In
2006 Poseidon Jennifer Ramsey Post-production

2004 The Phantom of the Opera Christine Daaé
2004 The Day After Tomorrow Laura Chapman

2003 Mystic River Katie Markum
2003 Nola Nola

2002 Passionada Vicky Amonte
2001 An American Rhapsody Sheila (at 15)

1999 As the World Turns (1956) (TV series) Abigail Williams