I thought, at that moment, a star is born. I saw a real sadness in her eyes as well. She was beautiful and sensual, but also very innocent. I looked in her eyes and saw so many things. I know it! Everything about her embodied Christine before she even sang a note. I grabbed Joel and said, that's Christine!. I was skulking about in the back, actually, until Emmy came up on the monitor. I was very curious, but at the same time I had just gotten the job myself. Joel asked me to come along to the screen test. Gerard Butler comments on how fantastic she was and how he came to be 'lurking' about. Joel said he told me something and I was shaking.Įmmy was just sixteen when she auditioned. (Laughs) He was lurking, smoking a cigarette behind this video village. I remember he was lurking in the corner, very phantom-like. But I met a lot of people, one of whom was Gerry Butler. There were fifty people on set, people touching up my face, people holding booms, giant swooping crane shots, Joel Schumacher screaming action. There were two hours of hair and make-up and this incredible costume. I flew to New York, walked into the audition and it was on a set. He'd been casting for six months while I had been working on 'The Day After Tomorrow' in Montreal. I walked in and he asked me to screen test in New York on Saturday. I wanted her to be a real as if it were a film that wasn't a musical. He was very happy when I told him I hadn't seen the show, I was uncolored by the theatrical interpretation of the character. It was something that Andrew Lloyd Weber very much wanted. A highly skilled singer, the thought of landing Christine was a dream she never thought possible.Įmmy Rossum: It was very surreal. She sang at The Met in New York when she was only seven. Emmy Rossum had been a learned singer from childhood. Auditioning for Christine was a real test of nerves and confidence.

Emmy rossum phantom of the opera