Home » Entertainment » Who plays Fiona in Shameless? Why did she leave the show after Season 9?

Emmy Rossum is an American actress, director and singer. She is the one playing Fiona in Shameless and got popular all over the world for her role.

Shameless is a television series in America developed by John Wells from January 9, 2011, to April 11, 2021. The series consisted of 11 seasons and was a massive hit worldwide. This series comes under the genres of Comedy drama, Family drama and Black comedy.

Facts about Emmy Rossum

CategoryInformation
Full nameEmmanuelle Grey Rossum
Date of birthSeptember 12, 1986
Place of birthNew York City, New York, U.S.
EducationAttended the Spence School, studied at the Metropolitan Opera
Acting debutAt age 13 in the television movie “Grace & Glorie”
Breakout roleChristine Daaé in “The Phantom of the Opera” (2004)
Other notable rolesFiona Gallagher in “Shameless” (2011-2021), Bulma in “Dragonball Evolution” (2009), Laura Chapman in “Poseidon” (2006)
Awards and nominationsNominated for a Golden Globe for “Shameless” (2012), received a Critics’ Choice Television Award for “Shameless” (2012), received a Young Hollywood Award for Breakthrough Performance – Female for “The Phantom of the Opera” (2005)
Other pursuitsReleased a self-titled album in 2007, directed an episode of “Shameless” in 2016, supports various charities including Best Friends Animal Society and YouthAIDS

Who is Emmy Rossum? Dide she play Fiona on Shameless?

American actress, director, and singer Emmy Rossum rose to fame for her role as Fiona Gallagher on “Shameless.” She started her acting career as a young girl with the Metropolitan Opera and later starred in a number of films, such as “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Poseidon.” In addition, Rossum has two CDs, “Inside Out” and “Sentimental Journey,” and he donates to several causes.

1986 saw the birth of Emmy in New York City. Her mother, Cheryl Rossum, a corporate photographer, brought her up. Jewish ideals were instilled in Rossum by her mother, who is of Russian Jewish origin. When Rossum was seven years old, she received an invitation to join the Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus, where she has sung in several operas and shared the stage with accomplished vocalists. Later, she pursued acting and studied at New York City’s New Actors Workshop.

Emmy Rossum

She left Spence School to seek employment options and completed online coursework at the age of fifteen to obtain her high school certificate. At Columbia University, she also studied philosophy, art history, and French.

She made her television debut in 1997 as Abigail Williams in As the World Turns and later appeared in Snoops. She received a Young Artist Award nomination for her work in the Disney Channel movie Genius and played a young Audrey Hepburn in The Audrey Hepburn Story. Rossum made her film debut in 2000’s Songcatcher, for which she received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Debut Performance.

She later starred in Mystic River, The Day After Tomorrow, and Poseidon. Rossum had a breakthrough role as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera, earning a Golden Globe nomination. She also appeared in Dragonball Evolution, and Dare, and participated in Broadway’s 24-Hour Plays.

After her successful performance in The Phantom of the Opera, Rossum turned down several offers to record Classical music albums, choosing instead to create a contemporary album with emotional honesty. Her influences include Sarah McLachlan, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, and Faith Hill. Her album Inside Out, produced by Stuart Brawley, was released in 2007 and peaked at 199 on the US Billboard charts.

In 2010, she collaborated with Alex Band and Chantal Kreviazuk on the song “Cruel One” for Band’s debut solo album. Rossum also made several live performances, including joining the “Traveling Circus and Medicine Show” tour in 2009 as a special guest.

Personal Life

Emmy wedded Justin Siegel in 2008, and they divorced in 2010. In 2015, she got engaged to Sam Esmail and they married in 2017. Rossum kept her pregnancies private, giving birth to a daughter in 2021 and a son in 2023. She is related to designer Vera Wang through marriage and describes herself as spiritual but not religious.

However, she is still well known for playing Fiona in the TV show Shameless.

Why did she leave the show after Season 9?

Emmy Rossum’s departure from Shameless left a big hole, especially since Fiona was the protagonist and protector of the Gallagher family. However, the show managed to complete two more seasons without her. Fiona left Shameless at the end of season 9 after deciding that she had done all she could for her family.

Emmy Rossum

Although she contributed $50,000 to their care, her sudden exit still felt out of place. Some fans thought that Fiona had run her course on the show, given her business savvy and the siblings’ growing independence. Nonetheless, the tension surrounding Fiona’s departure had always been present since the end of season 1.

There was one more reason that after season 9 due to scheduling conflicts and a desire to pursue other projects she left the series. Despite plans for her return in the series finale, the COVID-19 pandemic and time constraints made it impossible to coordinate with her schedule, resulting in her absence.

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