Emmy Rossum reveals ‘bizarre’ impact Shameless nude scenes had on private life

Emmy Rossum has admitted her intimate scenes in Shameless had an effect on her dating life.

Emmy Rossum has admitted her nude scenes in Shameless had a “totally bizarre” impact on her dating life.

The 40-year-old actress, who played Fiona Gallagher on the gritty comedy drama from 2011 to 2019, has revealed how “all of the guys” she was interested in ended up making assumptions about her based on the character.

She told the Pretty Tough podcast: “It got quite tricky because of the nudity on the show.

“All of the guys that I would go out with had preconceived notions of who I was or how I was sexually. It was totally bizarre.”

Emmy, who was 24 when she joined Shameless, admitted one man she went on a date with was hesitant to take things any further because of his political aspirations.

She recalled: “He was like, ‘I really want to be president someday.’ And I was like, ‘Wow, that’s a great goal’.

“He’s like, ‘But I feel like running for office dating someone who’s been exposed in the way that you have — do you think that would be tricky for me?’

“And I was like, ‘This is an insane conversation to have.’”

Emmy noted that navigating your 20s is a journey in itself, even without people seeing her a certain way because of her breakout TV role.

She said: “So, I think growing up in your 20s, you’re dating. 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.”

The US version of Shameless, which was adapted from the UK series of the same name, ran for 11 seasons between 2011 and 2021.

Before being cast in the show, Emmy was a child star in films like 2000’s Songcatcher, 2003 movies Nola and Mystic River, and 2004’s The Day After Tomorrow.

That same year, she was praised for her performance as Christine Daae in the film version of The Phantom of the Opera.

Since leaving Shameless, she directed and starred in Peacock’s Angelyne, as well as landing recent roles in The Crowded Room and Furious.

Emmy recently admitted she tries to be kinder to herself for the sake of her young son and daughter, who she has with husband Sam Esmail.

She told PEOPLE magazine: “I feel like they can read my mind sometimes. So [I’m being] more careful about how I talk to myself in my head. Because I feel like they can get a vibe of how I treat myself.

“And I think too much time online can cause us to be unkind to ourselves, through compare and despair. So, I think it’s important to talk to ourselves kindly, to be our own best friend, because that’s what I want for my kids.

“I’m always going to be their best friend, but when I’m not here, I want them to have each other and be their own best friend.”