Emmy Rossum Opens Up About Fighting for Equal Pay on Shameless

Emmy Rossum is reflecting on her push for wage parity during her time on Shameless.

The 39-year-old, who portrayed Fiona Gallagher on the Showtime series that debuted in 2011, has opened up about the financial disparity she faced compared to her castmate William H. Macy, 76, who held the top billing position.

Speaking on the Wednesday, July 8 episode of Call Her Daddy, Rossum explained that by the third season, her legal team believed she had sufficient grounds to request matching pay to Macy. That initial appeal was rejected. When contract talks resumed for season eight, she attempted the conversation again, bolstered by her work directing episodes on the show. That request also came up short.

"It's always scary asking for what you think you're worth," Rossum reflected. "To say, 'I think this is what I'm worth,' you have to take up space in the room."

As production for season eight approached, her compensation status remained unresolved. What was meant to stay confidential became front-page news when negotiations spilled into the public domain. Rossum discovered the stalemate while at a writer's retreat after checking Twitter.

"I was on a writer's retreat, and I was procrastinating, and I opened up Twitter, and it was a headline that we were in, like, a stalemate. And I was shook," the Golden Globe-nominated performer recalled. "It's a private business negotiation, and I never imagined it would become public. Not just for the public, but also for the rest of the cast and the crew."

Despite her concerns about public perception, the exposure proved beneficial. "The tide really shifted" after the situation became widely known, Rossum noted, with media outlets expressing surprise that she hadn't already been compensated equally.

Within a day, she secured a new contract with a salary bump.

"I was shocked and, quite frankly, very, very surprised that we got it," she said. Rossum emphasized that her motivation centered on fairness rather than greed. "I only desire to remain professional, and my focus is never on money; it's on what's fair and what's right, and I believe that people should be paid for their labor. It was really about being valued equally when I was doing equal work."

She acknowledged moments of self-doubt during the process, wondering if she was being obstinate. Her affection for the project made walking away tempting. However, male members of her team pushed her to hold firm on her position.

"There were a lot of men on my team who were like, 'Let's get this. We are going to get this. We are not going to go back unless we get this,'" she explained. "There were a lot of times where I felt scared and wanted to cave. I was like, 'Who cares? I love this show. I love these people. I want to do this.'"

The victory rippled outward. Rossum observed that other women began advocating for themselves following her successful negotiation. While filming in Canada the following year, a store employee approached her to express gratitude, mentioning that staff at her workplace had collectively requested raises inspired by Rossum's stand.

"I was very, very happy when we got it, and very, very happy for what it seemingly did for other women," Rossum reflected. "I couldn't imagine that it had traveled so far."

During the same interview, Rossum also discussed her first marriage to music executive Justin Siegel and the circumstances surrounding their split.