The actress told Maria Sharapova that men made assumptions about her based on her role as Fiona Gallagher.
Emmy Rossum said her nude scenes on the television series ‘Shameless’ made dating difficult in her 20s because men made assumptions about her. Speaking with Maria Sharapova on an episode of the ‘Pretty Tough’ podcast, Rossum explained that suitors frequently arrived with preconceived expectations based on what they saw on the screen.
‘It got quite tricky because of the nudity on the show,’ Rossum said. ‘All of the guys that I would go out with had preconceived notions of who I was or how I was sexually.’ In an excerpt reported by The Hollywood Reporter, she added, ‘It was totally bizarre.’
Rossum recalled one date with a man who hoped to pursue a career in politics. She said he told her he wanted to run for president one day, but worried about whether being linked to an actress who had been exposed like she had would harm his chances. Rossum recalled thinking, ‘This is an insane conversation to have.’
Rossum was 24 years old when ‘Shameless’ premiered in 2011, portraying Fiona Gallagher. The series followed the chaotic lives of the Gallagher family living in poverty on Chicago’s South Side. She co-starred with William H. Macy, Jeremy Allen White, Ethan Cutkosky, Steve Howey, Shanola Hampton, Emma Kenney and Cameron Monaghan before departing the show in 2019 at the end of season nine.
Reflecting on dating during that era, Rossum said, ‘You’re trying to figure out who you are. You’re coming into your own as an artist. And there’s also all these preconceived notions about you that are out there that are associated with [you] because your body is your art, right? And people can get confused.’ Prior to ‘Shameless,’ Rossum appeared in ‘Mystic River,’ ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ and ‘The Phantom of the Opera,’ which earned her a Golden Globes nomination.
