Emmy Rossum: “The further a character is from me, the more exciting the challenge”
At almost 40 years old, the actress continues her transformation away from Shameless and slips into the skin of an FBI agent as determined as she is tormented in Furious. Interview.
Far from Fiona Gallagher, whom she played for nine seasons in Shameless, Emmy Rossum radically changes register with Furious, the new police series from Disney+. She lends her features to Alice Black, an FBI agent launched on the trail of a serial killer who is as elusive as she is methodical. Throughout their confrontation, each defends their own vision of justice, to the point of blurring the boundaries between good and evil. Imagined by Elizabeth Meriwether (the creator of New Girl) the series will launch on Monday July 27. The actress tells us how she prepared for this physical and demanding role.
PREMIERE: Furious is inspired by the film Black Widow, released in 1987. What do you like about this feature film?
EMMY ROSSUM: I love Theresa Russell, who played the serial killer and with whom I had the chance to work when I was around fifteen, in Passionada (released in 2002). I find Black Widow to be a very well constructed film. These two women are determined, almost obsessed with their goal. They are both underestimated because they are women. Watching it again, I was convinced that there was a lot to be done by re-examining this story through a more contemporary prism.
What attracted you to this role?
First Liz (Meriwether). She was the one who told me about her desire to readapt Black Widow. I immediately thought it was a good idea, because there are some great ideas in this film, with the potential to make a great series. We follow two women with parallel destinies: one is an FBI agent, the other is a serial killer. We developed the project together for almost two years and I immediately connected with the character of Alice. She brings together everything I look for in a character: she is deep, complex and very physical. It’s very different from anything I’ve ever played before. It took a lot of preparation and training.
How is she different from Fiona in Shameless or any of the other characters you’ve played so far?
I have often played quite comely women. In any case open and friendly. But in Furious, I play a much tougher policewoman, totally closed in on herself. Because of her past, she never reaches out to others. She does not hesitate to take risks, or even adopt dangerous behavior. And for an actress, being able to play someone who makes choices that you would never make is always very enjoyable.
What kind of training did you do?
First, physical training: eat a lot of protein, lift weights, in order to get as close as possible to a real woman in the field. I also took weapons training, to learn how to use them correctly. And then I worked with FBI agents to better understand their way of proceeding, their interrogation techniques, for example. More generally, I wanted to understand what this profession represents on a daily basis, year after year. How difficult it is, especially for a woman, to deal with all this, to give up a softer part of herself to invest completely in her mission. Especially when Alice abandons her rank as a police officer to start from scratch by joining the FBI. I learned a lot.
Is it exciting to prepare for a role like this?
Totally! The further away a character is from me, the more exciting the challenge. I love tackling things that are very far from what I usually do.
After almost thirty years of career, what roles do you want to play today?
Characters like Alice, who I’ve never played before. For example, I have just shot a film where I play a nail technician who runs her own salon. Now I have become very good at manicures! If you need it, don’t hesitate! (Laughs.) But what I especially like about this job is that it allows me to be interested in people. It feeds my empathy. I am deeply curious about others. When I was little, I wanted to be an astronaut, then a doctor, then a lawyer and even a tyrannosaurus… That’s the luck of this profession: you can be all of these at the same time.
Furious will be available from Monday July 27 on Disney+, with three episodes posted online upon launch, then a new episode each week.
