Emmy Rossum is one of the biggest actresses in Hollywood. Starring in the hit Showtime series Shameless, Rossum showcases her acting skills without batting an eye. But, imagine you had the chance to star in a summer blockbuster movie and all you had to do to get the part was show up in the director’s office wearing a bikini? Nevermind that your character never appears in a bikini in the movie, or how you look in a bikini has nothing to do with your acting talent? Would you do it?
According to Rossum, less than a year ago, the actress who plays Fiona Gallagher on Showtime’s Shameless, alongside William H. Macy, shared the story with fellow actresses during a comedy roundtable for The Hollywood Reporter.
“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.'”
Apparently, the director wanted to know if she was fat.
“He wanted to know if I was fat now. 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.'”
Russum was just another actress getting treated poorly by Hollywood’s dark underbelly.
“‘We really love your work, but we just want to see how tight your ass is.’ “Are you ****ing kidding me? Last time I checked, I’m not a ****ing model.”
Rossum turned down the request but, as a working actress she can afford to say no. But what about other aspiring aspiring actresses out there?
“If somebody with my years in the business would think, ‘Well, I wonder if it’s worth it,’ then what would a girl who doesn’t have my success do? She would do it.”
