Emmy Rossum is embracing her natural curls and making no apologies for the texture, frizz or volume that comes with them. The 40-year-old actress has opened up about her changing relationship with her hair, explaining why she no longer feels the need to conform to conventional beauty standards.
Speaking to Page Six Style, Rossum was asked about dealing with frizzy hair in humid conditions. Rather than treating it as a beauty problem, the Shameless star made it clear she was perfectly happy with the situation.
“Yeah, but I like that,” she replied. “I embrace my wholeness, my whole ethnicity, my specificity of texture. I think it’s important to step fully into who we are and not, you know, make ourselves smaller than we need to be.”
Rossum, who looked striking in a black sequinned Hermès gown, has also been wearing her natural curls in Hulu’s Furious. The decision is part of a wider effort to feel more comfortable showing her private self in public, something she discussed at the series premiere in July.
“I think it’s important for me to feel empowered in my authenticity and my uniqueness,” she told People, adding that positive reactions from others still mean something, even if she believes confidence should ultimately come from within.
It marks a considerable change for the actress, who spent years chemically straightening her hair, using keratin treatments, flat irons and blow-dries to achieve a different look.
In a 2022 Vogue video, Rossum reflected on how her attitude had shifted, explaining that she now saw natural curls as an expression of confidence rather than something to be controlled.
Motherhood also played a part in the change. Rossum and husband Sam Esmail welcomed their daughter in 2021, prompting the actress to reconsider the example she wanted to set.
Speaking to Kelly Clarkson, she explained that she wanted her daughter to understand there was nothing wrong with wearing her hair exactly as it naturally grew. It was a simple lesson, but one that helped Rossum make peace with a part of herself she had spent years trying to change.
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Last modified: November 3, 2026
