Emmy Rossum, former “Shameless” star put her body through grueling challenges to transform herself into the character of “Angelyne” for the Peacock Original miniseries by the same name.
This is a long-awaited role for Rossum, who told The Hollywood Reporter that she had willed this role into existence for four years, after obsessing over Angelyne’s persona. “I found it to be completely liberating to look in the mirror and not see myself at all,” Rossum told the outlet, before revealing she went through excruciating challenges and made numerous physical sacrifices for the sake of the role.
Rossum admitted to suffering from blisters as a result of the artificial breasts she wore, and experienced issues with her tear duct issues from wearing two pairs of contact lenses and incredibly heavy eye makeup during filming, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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The infamous Angelyne is a groundbreaking figure in entertainment and has now become the center of the upcoming Peacock original biopic limited series. Angelyne rose to fame in the 80s and was instantly recognized by the numerous billboards that boasted nothing more than her name, and an image of herself suggestively next to a hot pink Corvette, according to The Sun.
“The physicality of the character was challenging. The body is heavy, yet it has to feel light and effervescent. But I just kept focusing on how lucky I felt. This opportunity is really every actor’s dream,” expressed Rossum, according to The Hollywood Reporter. (RELATED: Katy Perry’s Fashion Fail Made Her Fall On The ‘American Idol’ Stage)
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Transforming into the blonde bombshell wasn’t simple for Rossum. The transformation into this role often involved up to five hours sitting in a chair for her makeup application, on top of the other aesthetic demands required of her. In order to perfectly embody Angelyne, Rossum would frequently arrive on set hours before the crew members started their days, just to get a head start on her cosmetic overhaul.
Sam Esmail, Rossum’s husband, weighed in on the incredible transformation.
“When I say that there are times where I did not recognize her because she was lost in this person, I really mean it,” Esmail said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “This is my wife I’m talking about. It’s kind of eerie.”