It was announced yesterday that 35-year-old Emmy Rossum of Shameless fame has been cast to play 25-year-old Tom Holland’s mother in the new Apple TV+ series, The Crowded Room. The series is loosely based on a mixture of writer Akiva Goldsman’s own experiences and Daniel Keyes biography The Minds of Billy Milligan. Milligan was the first person acquitted of a crime due to dissociative identity (formerly multiple-personality) disorder. Tom will play Danny, who is the Milligan character, Emmy plays his mom and Amanda Seyfried plays a clinical psychologist, presumably Danny’s psychologist. Emmy is less than 10 years older than Tom. So the question here is: is this good old fashioned Hollywood ageism or does the role require a younger actress?
Emmy Rossum (Shameless, Angelyne) has been tapped as a lead opposite Tom Holland and Amanda Seyfried in The Crowded Room, Apple’s seasonal anthology series from New Regency.
Written and executive produced by Akiva Goldsman, The Crowded Room is an anthology series that will explore inspirational stories of those who have struggled with mental illness and learned to live successfully with it. The 10-episode first season is based in part on Goldsman’s own life and inspired by Daniel Keyes’ biography The Minds of Billy Milligan.
Holland, who also executive produces alongside Goldman, plays the lead, Danny Sullivan, loosely based on Milligan, who was the first person acquitted of a crime because of multiple-personality disorder, now known as dissociative identity disorder.
Rossum, who is less than 9 years 8.5 months older than Holland, will play Candy, Danny’s mother. Through their struggles in life, she dreams of salvation in the form of someone else. Seyfried plays Rya, a clinical psychologist faced with the most challenging case of her career.
I admit, I reacted to this story on Twitter without reading the press release. Now that I see the setup, it’s possible that they need an 30-something actress because the part covers a range and needs to be aged up or down believably, as one of my friend’s suggested. And this weird dreaming herself into other characters sounds like there will be a lot of make-up/costume work. (It also sounds like a Precious rip-off.) So I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt on this. I wouldn’t put it past the industry to hire a woman to play the mom of a person less than a decade younger than her, but I’m just not convinced it’s the case here.
There are a lot of other things to worry about with this series, though. I haven’t read The Minds of Billy Milligan, but I am familiar with Milligan’s crimes and they’re ugly. When they say “loosely” based on his life, I hope they mean it. It would be a big departure for Tom, but I still feel bad for Milligan’s victims. Plus, as CB reminded me, Emmy does not have a great reputation on set. Hopefully she has changed since then. Lastly, when the hell is Tom going to take this desired break if he’s making Fred Astaire biopics, three-picture deals with Sony and now a 10-episode series with Apple?
Photos credit: Avalon, Backgrid and via Instagram
I read somewhere that she will mostly be acting in flashback scenes, which makes more sense. It would be incredibly disappointing if that’s not the case.
Yes, i going to be flashback only, people really need to search a little before go on and on about this, I know is a problem in Hollywood but this time the casting is fine, She is the mother of a 5 years old Danny
Flashbacks or time travel, yeah.
That would be the only acceptable reason for this.
The button placement on that blazer…yikes
I think it‘s cool!
That was the first thing I saw! Took me a minute to actually read the article.
Yeah- very unfortunate coupled with the color
RIGHT?? immediately thought it makes her look like a naked miss piggy lol
Lol! I’m glad I’m not the only one who did a spit take 😀
Then I had to stop and ask myself if I was just being an old, and that fashion is fun. No way that we are the only ones who noticed and chuckled at the buttons/colour of this look.
I’ve decided to shrug off my shrug and smile at her cheekiness.
That button placement has to be on purpose.
I can’t watch real word crime stories. It’s too much knowing that real people suffered and experienced those events.
Does no one watch This is Us? Mandy Moore is YOUNGER than Stirling K. Brown. This is not the crazy thing that all the hot takes are making it out to be.
Lol! I read through this entire article thinking it was Tom Hiddleston not Holland, I think that I need a bit more coffee 😊
That blazer. Omg.
Several years ago, Jane Krakowski said she played Chevy Chase’s niece in Vacation — but if they made the movie now (when she made the statement), she would play his wife. If they made the movie in 5 years’ time, she would be cast as his mother. I’ve never forgotten that statement, so true and powerful about how women in Hollywood are treated.
That statement is so poignant in the way Hollywood treats women. On top of the fact that they are paid less and are treated differently than their male counterparts. It’s sickening.
I see no issues with this casting. The part is during flashbacks of when Tom’s character is like, 5 years old or something. Much knee-jerk ado about nothing.
Welp, my brain went to Tom Hiddleston, so I was even more confused until I read the whole thing.
That blazer is ending me! 😀