I’m a big fan of icebreakers. My favorite day of school was always the first, when the teacher would set up some amazingly awkward game where students had to reveal something about themselves so the class could “get to know” each other. Shy students considered this a sanctioned form of adolescent torture; I, on the other hand, delighted. Should I tell people about my perfectly organized dead bee collection or about my 3-for-3 record of receiving a carnation from the knight at Medieval Times? This declaration would shape my classroom persona for the entire year…
- She joined the Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus at the age of seven and, while there, performed in five languages in 20 different operas.
- She adopted a stray cat from the Chicago set of Shameless and named it Fiona G. Kitty, after her character on the show (more on that below).
- She follows a gluten-free diet.
One thing’s for sure: we would DEFINITELY have been friends in school. Alas, our lives have taken different forks: hers is now filled with red carpets and paparazzi, amplified particularly after the recent debut of Showtime’s dark comedy series, Shameless. Here’s another piece of trivia: the show had the biggest premiere in the history of the network. Rossum plays Fiona, the witty and wild daughter of William H. Macy’s character, who must keep her five younger siblings in line, despite working-class problems fueled by money, alcohol and, well, a family that drives her crazy.
I caught up with the Vegas Magazine cover girl to discuss acronyms of lighter note: eBay, LA and NASA, of course.
Emmy Rossum: My personal style is constantly evolving. I grew up in New York so it started with clean lines and sophisticated tailoring, and it’s gotten a little softer and more sensual in the last few years; even a little more bohemian, with prints and florals and fringe.
JB: Who are some of your favorite designers?
ER: I like to mix high and low. I love Donna Karan, Anna Sui, Elie Tahari, Gerard Darel… I love easy pieces from Gap, Ever and Aqua, and jeans from Henry & Belle.
JB: What’s your best kept style secret?
ER: I search for 70s vintage floral dresses on eBay. You can never quite tell how something is going to fit, so I limit myself to pieces under 20 dollars. I’m also a big fan of throwing a leather jacket over pretty much anything.
JB: If you weren’t an actress, what occupation interests you?
ER: I would love to have been an astronaut or (more realistically) work in research for NASA. Space and science always fascinated me in school.
JB: What’s the last thing you Googled?
ER: A recipe for gluten-free chicken parmesan for Saturday night cooking with friends.
xoxo,
Julie
