Here's What Happened To Shameless Star Emmy Rossum

With an illustrious career spanning multiple decades, Emmy Rossum has long been a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. The leading lady is a gifted actor, singer, and producer who constantly keeps her fans on their toes with her many exciting endeavors. Though the Golden Globe nominee has delivered winning performances in films like "The Day After Tomorrow," "The Phantom of the Opera," and "Poseidon," she is perhaps best known as Fiona Gallagher in the Showtime staple "Shameless."

From 2011 to 2019, Rossum showcased her acting prowess while playing the eldest Gallagher, Fiona, who becomes a maternal figure to her five younger siblings while she tries to keep the family afloat in the South Side of Chicago. The popular series — which features a stacked ensemble cast that includes William H. Macy, Jeremy Allen White, and Cameron Monaghan — is an adaptation of the British show of the same name.

In 2018, Rossum shocked viewers when she announced her departure from the award-winning dramedy (which would complete its run 2021), leaving many fans wondering what was next for the curly-haired beauty. In the years since her surprising exit from "Shameless," Rossum has undergone quite the stunning transformation both in her personal and professional life, taking on projects both behind and in front of the camera.

In 2016, Emmy Rossum stepped behind the camera and helmed two episodes of "Shameless," but this wouldn't be the last time she gave directing a whirl. After Rossum's surprising departure from "Shameless" in 2019, she continued pursuing her directing dreams by taking on an episode of the anthology show "Modern Love." Her installment featured the talents of Julia Garner and Shea Whigham.

Titled "So He Looked Like Dad. It Was Just Dinner, Right?," the episode explores the unusual connection forged between a young woman and an older man who reminds her of her late father. Decider declared the episode "explicitly creepy" in their review and it left some viewers uneasy by its controversial premise, though Rossum herself would go on to defend its overall message to People, calling the script "beautiful" and the subject matter "close to my heart."

"I was immediately struck by the complexity of the male-female relationship, the awkwardness and the inability to express what you're really looking for," she said. Rossum also pointed out that unlike her fellow guest directors, she did not actually pen her episode and only stepped in after its original writer Audrey Wells passed away in 2018, an experience she deemed "the greatest honor of my life." Rossum subsequently embraced the episode's polarizing response: "I think when art gets an intense reaction, that's a good thing." 

Around the time she parted ways with "Shameless" in 2019, Emmy Rossum returned to the big screen and tackled the role of a police officer in the action thriller "Cold Pursuit," a remake of the Kim Fupz Aakeson film that starred Liam Neeson as a man who avenges the murder of his son. With a supporting cast of familiar faces like Laura Dern and Tom Bateman, the film featured Rossum as Kim Dash, an ambitious rookie cop trying to make a name for herself in a male-dominated profession.

In an interview with Girl.com.au, Rossum shared what inspired her to take on the character in the thriller. "What intrigued me was seeing a young woman fight for herself and what she believes in in a male-dominated world," she said. "Not just within a criminal world but within her own workplace in the police force, too." She went on to praise her co-star Neeson, calling the Oscar-nominated actor. "He is tall and handsome and kind and funny. And annoyingly professional," she said. "He's really just everything that you could imagine him to be."

"Cold Pursuit" went on to become both a critical and commercial success. That said, Neeson did generate some controversy during a press junket when he told The Independent about his racist reaction to a friend's assault years ago. He subsequently apologized and acknowledged how deeply problematic and hurtful the story was, but the fallout led to the movie's red carpet premiere being canceled. 

2019 proved to be quite an eventful year for Emmy Rossum, as she not only parted ways with "Shameless" and dove headfirst into directing, but she also launched her very own production company, Composition 8. The Golden Globe nominee announced via Facebook that she wanted "women to lead the charge" and that she looked forward to teaming up with UCP (Universal Content Productions) and being able to "create opportunity for new and diverse voices."

In response to the creative partnership, UCP president Dawn Olmstead sang the actor's praises in a statement issued to The Hollywood Reporter. "Emmy is an amazing talent and a force of nature," Olmstead said. "Over this past year we have had the pleasure of working closely with her as a producer and know firsthand her talents know no bounds." Rossum joined her director/producer husband Sam Esmail at the company, which had previously produced many of Esmail's TV and film ventures, including the award-winning thriller series "Mr. Robot."

Rossum's first project with both Composition 8 and UCP would be the 2022 Peacock miniseries "Angelyne," in which she both starred in and served as an executive producer. Based on The Hollywood Reporter's 2017 feature story about the Los Angeles icon, the five-episode drama effectively kicked off the successful partnership between the two companies. It was also Rossum's first major TV role since "Shameless." 

A few years after they tied the knot, Emmy Rossum and director Sam Esmail shared some big family news. In 2021, the couple welcomed their first child together. While serving as a guest co-host alongside Ryan Seacrest for "Live with Kelly and Ryan," the actor detailed her daughter's very eventful birth story (via People). As "The Phantom of the Opera" star shared, she hopped in an Uber after going into labor, and from that point on all she could do was hope she'd get to the hospital in time. "I was actually nine centimeters dilated at that point, so real close," she said. "I was basically 10 minutes away from having a child." Fortunately, they did make it to the hospital before she gave birth.

Nearly two years later, Rossum and Esmail announced the birth of their son in April 2023 via Instagram, with the couple including photos of the baby's footprints and a close-up of her bump while captioning the post, "On a foggy Wednesday morning, our son was born." Rossum had taken a nearly four-year break from acting to focus on motherhood, and she found out she was pregnant with her second child while filming "The Crowded Room."

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2023, Rossum said that discovering she was pregnant during production of the emotionally-driven series "brings up a lot of feelings" for her. She continued, "[I]t brings up a lot about our imperfections as people, the unrealistic expectations that we place on ourselves, and how we are really just a product of our own upbringings."

As previously noted, Emmy Rossum made her triumphant return to acting when she headlined 2022's "Angelyne." The limited series explores the life and legend of the enigmatic L.A. bombshell who rose to prominence in the '80s through self-promoting billboards. The five-episode drama was based on journalist Gary Baum's revealing 2017 exposé about the media sensation, and the actor completely immersed herself in the role. Rossum was nearly unrecognizable as Angelyne, donning a 3-pound breastplate, contact lenses, and a blonde wig to embody the one-of-a-kind model.

"I found it to be completely liberating to look in the mirror and not see myself at all," Rossum told The Hollywood Reporter when discussing her drastic transformation into Angelyne. "At first, it's unnerving. But feeling lost gives way to this real liberation — from myself and the hang-ups that can impede a performance." Rossum did get a chance to meet the mysterious celebrity herself while preparing for the project. "That was also just an out-of-body experience," she dished to E! News. "She's a rebel. She's incredibly unconventional. She's powerful. She's hyper-feminine. She's pure fantasy, but she's always in control."

Rossum spent a jaw-dropping seven hours in the makeup chair in order to become the L.A. icon, though the grueling transformation and her dedication to the role ultimately paid off when the series made its debut in May 2022. Rossum garnered widespread critical acclaim for her powerful performance in the miniseries, which went on to receive three Creative Arts Emmy nominations while nabbing a glowing 87% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics. 

After the overwhelming success of "Angelyne," Emmy Rossum continued her TV takeover a year later when she starred alongside MCU superstar Tom Holland and Golden Globe-winner Amanda Seyfried in "The Crowded Room." Inspired by Daniel Keyes' novel "The Minds of Billy Milligan," the psychological thriller featured Holland as a young man who is arrested for a disturbing crime while Rossum played his devoted mother.

When Rossum took this role, it caused a bit of a stir because she is just a decade older than the "Spider-Man" alum. However, she wasn't fazed by the reaction. "It makes sense when I read the script," she mused to Entertainment Tonight before further saying she "fell in love with the relationship between mother and son and the closeness and everything that they're grieving in later episodes." Despite the stacked cast of gifted performers, the series ultimately polarized audiences upon its premiere.

Holland had nothing but glowing things to say about his on-screen "mom" Rossum in an interview with Den of Geek. "Emmy was so collaborative, she was game," he said. "Like, it's mind blowing what she did. I loved working with her." Though the miniseries may not have wowed everyone, Holland's portrayal nonetheless earned the actor a Critics' Choice Award nomination and his winning chemistry with Rossum helped elevate the gripping storyline. 

In addition to being a fantastic on-camera performer, Emmy Rossum has a background in music — and a killer set of pipes to boot. One thing you may not know about Rossum is that she joined the Metropolitan Opera Children's Chorus when she was 7 years old and would go on to dazzle the masses by singing in six different languages in 20 operas. She was able to combine her music and acting talents when she helped bring Andrew Lloyd Webber's timeless musical "The Phantom of the Opera" to the silver screen in 2004. She played Christine Daaé, and she was nominated for a Golden Globe.  She has also released two albums and an EP.

In 2024, Rossum returned to the stage for an Off Broadway production of "Walden." In the acclaimed show, She played Stella, a former NASA architect who is estranged from her twin sister. Rossum acted opposite "Succession" alum Zoë Winters.

On the aggregator website Show-Score, "Walden" garnered a solid 79% audience score based on 122 reviews and critics were thoroughly impressed by the chemistry between Rossum and Winters. In an interview with Today, Rossum called her stage return "incredible" after having taken a break from acting. "Especially being on stage in a live theater performance, there's nothing quite like it," she said. "It really has reaffirmed my love of this art." 

Emmy Rossum has given back and supported charities close to her heart for years. She was a YouthAIDS ambassador from 2007 to 2010, which involved traveling to colleges and speaking to young people about the disease and its prevention. In 2008, the actor became an advocate for breast cancer awareness, having signed on as a spokesperson for the apparel line Pinkitude. Rossum has also joined forces with the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund and Global Green USA to help generate funds for environmental conservation. In 2018, the year she announced she was stepping away from "Shameless," she became a Goodwill Ambassador for Gorilla Doctors, a nonprofit that aims to protect endangered gorillas.

What's more, Rossum has continued to champion Best Friends Animal Society, a nonprofit that aims to help adopt out cats and dogs in rescues and shelters. She's also been a fixture of the Benefit to Save Them All, an annual event hosted by the Best Friends Animal Society. At the 2019 gala, she told The Hollywood Reporter, "I've been so impressed with the incredible work they've done to move L.A. so much closer to becoming the country's first real no-kill city." To this day, she uses her social media platform to encourage people to consider rescuing their next pet. "Adopt your new best friend from your local animal shelter or rescue group, save a life and bring love home!" she wrote on Instagram in 2025.

In between taking on dynamic projects, philanthropic efforts, and starting a family, Emmy Rossum has done a lot of impressive work behind the scenes and served as an executive producer for the limited series "Three Women." Based on Lisa Taddeo's bestselling novel of the same name, the drama feature a large ensemble cast including Shailene Woodley, DeWanda Wise, and Betty Gilpin and was picked up by Starz after Showtime scrapped its release. The show focuses on a grieving writer (Woodley) who sets out to interview a trio of "ordinary" women and shine a light on their respective journeys.

Rossum was an executive producer alongside Taddeo and Kathy Ciric on the series, which almost didn't make it to air after Showtime merged with Paramount+ in 2023. It was subsequently canceled by the streamer, but Starz swooped in to rescue the drama. It premiered in September 2024 and proved to be more of a hit with audiences than critics, nabbing a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes' Popcornmeter.

Prior to her creative contributions to "Three Women," Rossum had executive produced the 2014 romantic dramedy "Comet," which was directed by her husband Emsail and also featured her starring opposite Justin Long. Rossum had previously produced her Peacock series "Angelyne" as well as the podcast "Alligator Candy," which was celebrated at the New York Festivals Radio Awards. 

Since her "Shameless" days, Emmy Rossum has kept herself quite busy both in front of and behind the camera, and the leading lady is gearing up for yet another exciting project. The actor is set to star in and executive produce the Hulu drama series "Furious," a loose remake of the 1987 film "Black Widow." She will play an FBI agent who makes it her mission to hunt down an elusive female serial killer by using the secrets from the criminal's past.

Joining Rossum on-screen is "The White Lotus" star Jake Lacy as well as Lola Petticrew, Scoot McNairy, and A.J. Paratore, while "New Girl" showrunner Liz Meriwether created the adaptation. The '80s flick starred Debra Winger as an FBI agent who becomes obsessed with finding a mysterious woman (Theresa Russell) accused of killing her husbands and stealing their fortunes. Like Rossum, Meriwether has been on quite the roll in recent years, as she also co-created the Emmy-nominated series "Dying for Sex" and Hulu hit "The Dropout," both of which garnered universal acclaim. Rossum's Composition 8 is producing the series.

There sure seems to already be quite a bit of buzz surrounding "Furious." After production began in 2025, photos of Rossum and Lacy filming a fight scene in New York City made the internet rounds. As of this writing, the release date has not been announced.