Emmy Rossum has been battling gender inequality in Hollywood in recent years, as evident in her public fight to receive an equal salary as her male co-star in Shameless. The actress successfully got her well-deserved pay, but she not only experienced a gender pay gap but harassment as well.
The Phantom of the Opera star opened up about a humiliating audition that required her to wear a bikini just for the director’s amusement. This is obviously sexism that many actresses, even A-listers, experience until today.
Emmy Rossum Reveals Horrible Audition Story Where She Had To Be Almost Naked
Emmy Rossum shared in a roundtable interview via The Hollywood Reporter her most upsetting audition ever. She admitted that she never experienced anything like this where she had to do something in exchange for a job. Rossum said:
“I’ve never been in a situation where somebody asked me to do something really obviously physical in exchange for [a job], like a pay-to-play kind of situation. My agent called me and was like, ‘I’m so embarrassed to make this call, but there’s a big movie, and they’re going to offer it to you. They really love your work on the show. But the director wants you to come into his office in a bikini. There’s no audition. That’s all you have to do.’”
The actress did not reveal the director’s identity, only she said it was a male. Apparently, no audition was going to happen; Rossum just needed to show up in a two-piece, and she would get the job. The Beautiful Creatures star continued:
“He wanted to know if I was fat now. That was basically the question. And I actually had this moment like, ‘Well, how good is the part?’ For a second, I was like, ‘Would I do it? Send me the script. Maybe the character is in a bikini in the movie.’”
Unlike what she thought, the character had no scene in the script where she had to be in a scanty outfit. The director just wanted to harass her in private. Rossum further remarked:
“Not naked in the movie. ‘We really love your work, but we just want to see how tight your a** is.’ Are you f—king kidding me? Last time I checked, I’m not a f—king model.”
Rossum, along with many other female Hollywood celebrities, had stories of harassment at the hands of directors and other high-profile names in the industry.
Emmy Rossum Fought For Equal Pay With Her Shameless Male Co-Star
Emmy Rossum’s biggest achievement after starring in several successful movies in the past was her work in the Showtime series Shameless. This is where she received critical acclaim, even getting to direct a couple of episodes.
Because she made so many contributions to the show, the actress demanded a salary increase. She had become a staple in the series, but Rossum would not sign up for the eighth season unless her demands were met. In fact, she had more screen time than her co-star William H. Macy. She told THR:
“I’ll tell you the person who supported me the most was William H. Macy. To have the man counterpart on my show be like, ‘Yes, she does deserve this and more,’ was so validating. And after it became public, it was a quick resolution.”
Rossum ultimately returned for the eighth season, though it was her last stint on the show.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
