Shameless star Emmy Rossum just got a starring role in a new limited series, and she likely didn't have to show up in a bikini to get the part, thankfully. Rossum will portray one of L.A.'s most mysterious figures, the billboard model Angelyne, in what sounds like a truly crazy show. As it should be, since there's little about the real-life story to be told in Angelyne that sounds normal.
Emmy Rossum is not only starring in Angelyne, but she's also executive producing this small screen look at the real life pop culture icon, who for 30 years was a mysterious model whose image appeared on billboards around L.A. The series is being developed and produced by Rossum's husband and Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail, as well as The Hollywood Reporter itself, which is taking a self-reported "new push" into television with Angelyne. THR's interest in the project stems from an expose on Angelyne that was published earlier this year by senior writer Gary Baum. In the piece, Baum finally revealed the true identity of the L.A.'s longtime local celebrity, Renee Goldberg, and spent months diving into her past and her fame. Baum will serve as a consultant for the in-development drama.
Angelyne sounds as though it will be a fascinating series for Emmy Rossum, who will take on the persona of a Polish immigrant whose parents were Holocaust survivors. Somewhere down the road, Renee Goldberg transformed into the blonde model known as Angelyne, and became famous just for being famous, long before the days of reality television and Kardashian obsessions. Angelyne is also known for her pink Cadillac, which she has been known to drive around Hollywood. Rossum, who says she has been fascinated with Angelyne since her younger years, shared her passion for the project in a statement:
I have always been fascinated by the enigma that is Angelyne. At a young age, I can vividly remember staring up at her on a billboard above me and wondering, 'Who is that woman?' Gary Baum's investigative journalism has finally unearthed the true, complex identity of the infamous woman who has fascinated Los Angeles for over 30 years. From the moment I read Gary's recent piece, I knew I had to tell this story. It's a poignant and bizarre tale about the hunger for fame, the sexualization of women and the erasing of past traumas.
Sounds like Emmy Rossum is ready to give another show-stopping performance, and with the creative guidance of her husband Sam Esmail, Angelyne appears primed to tell audiences a tale they won't soon forget. It's not the only performance Rossum will be giving in the near future, either, as news recently broke that her other series Shameless will be continuing its dysfunctional narratives into Season 9, despite some past issues regarding contracts. Already busy with Mr. Robot's now-airing Season 3, Esmail is also on the line to direct a Julia Roberts series for Amazon, so things are about to get even busier for the couple.
No date has been set for when Angelyne can be expected, and Universal Cable Productions hasn't even found a network home yet, but Emmy Rossum's Shameless is currently airing Season 8 Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET on Showtime. For a list of exciting upcoming shows, be sure to visit our fall premiere guide. For a list of series that got cancelled in 2017, look no further than our cancellation guide.
