NEWSEmmy Rossum Admits Certain 'Shameless' Scenes Affected Her Love Life: 'It Was Totally Bizarre'
Emmy Rossum said that certain scenes on 'Shameless' led to preconceived notions surrounding her character and sexuality.
Sept. 28 2026, Published 8:07 a.m. ET
Emmy Rossum recalled how spending nine years on Shameless affected her personal life.
"It made dating quite tricky because of the n---- on the show," Rossum said during a September 16 episode of the "Pretty Tough" podcast with Maria Sharapova.
She continued, "Because 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."
One Date Took an Unexpected Turn
One date was unsuccessful due to the person's worry that her public exposure might complicate his plans to run for office.
The actress then recalled one particular man she interacted with while traveling.
"I met this guy on a plane, and he was very cute, and he took me out on a date," Rossum said. "We were not meant to be together. But he was like, 'I really want to be president someday.'"
The conversation took an unusual turn when his ambitions entered the discussion.
"He's like, 'But I feel like running for office, dating someone, you know, who's been like exposed in the way that you have. Do you think that would be tricky for me?'" she recalled.
She Thought the Conversation Was Insane
For Emmy Rossum, her twenties entailed juggling the complexities of dating, self-discovery and artistic growth.
Rossum said she was caught off guard by the man's concern.
"And I was like, 'This is an insane conversation to have,'" the Beautiful Creatures star said.
She then reflected on what it meant to be navigating relationships while also coming into her own professionally.
"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," Rossum said.
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People Assumed Her Body Was Her Art
Emmy Rossum shed light on the frustrating reality that many people still struggle to separate an artist's body from their actual work.
The Shameless alum said the situation went beyond that one encounter.
"And there's also all these preconceived notions about you that are out there that are associated with because your body is your art, right?" she said. "And people can get confused."
"And so that certainly came up for me in a more serious way," Rossum added.
She Ultimately Found a Different Kind of Love
Emmy Rossum and Sam Esmail met on the set of 'Comet' and have been married since 2017.
Rossum eventually found a relationship that developed while she was building the next chapter of her career. She met Sam Esmail while working on Comet, which he wrote and directed.
The starlet has previously gushed over Esmail. During a July appearance on "Call Her Daddy" with Alex Cooper, she said, "I was so curious about him. And I had spent so long trying to find someone that I thought would understand me, when I realized maybe what I'm after is trying to find somebody I never want to stop trying to understand."
The couple married in 2017 and share two children.
