Emmy Rossum Says Her Nude ‘Shameless’ Scenes Affected Her Dating Life

Emmy Rossum recently revealed that playing Fiona Gallagher on “Shameless” had some lasting consequences off-screen.

Rossum’s nude scenes in the show, which ran for nine seasons, made her dating life difficult because of “preconceived notions,” she said. “It got quite tricky because of the nudity on the show,” Rossum told Maria Sharapova on an episode of “Pretty Tough.” “All of the guys that I would go out with had preconceived notions of who I was or how I was sexually.”

Some of the conversations were “bizarre,” Rossum said, noting one particular experience in which a man hoping to pursue a career in politics was hesitant about being associated with her because of the scenes.

“He was like, ‘I really want to be president someday.’ And I was like, ‘Wow, that’s a great goal,’” she said. “He’s like, ‘But I feel like running for office dating someone who’s been exposed in the way that you have — do you think that would be tricky for me?’ And I was like, ‘This is an insane conversation to have.’”

Rossum began “Shameless” when she was just 24, which she said was a difficult time to attempt dating as a young actress.

“You’re trying to figure out who you are,” she said. “You’re coming into your own as an artist. And there’s also all these preconceived notions about you that are out there that are associated with [you] because your body is your art, right? And people can get confused.”

Prior to “Shameless,” Rossum starred in “The Day After Tomorrow,” “Mystic River” and “The Phantom of the Opera,” the latter of which earned her a Golden Globes nomination.