Emmy Rossum, from 'Phantom of the Opera' to 'Poseidon'

Golden Globe Best Actress-nominee Emmy Rossum ("The Phantom of the Opera") stars as Jennifer, the headstrong daughter of an ex-New York City Mayor, in Warner Bros.' new spectacular action-adventure "Poseidon."

In the film, when a rogue wave capsizes a luxury cruise ship in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, a small group of survivors find themselves unlikely allies in a battle for their lives.

Determined to fight their way to the surface, they must forge a path together through layers of wreckage as the ship continues to sink. Bonds form quickly in this journey of vertical climbs, dead ends and sheer drops. And trust proves vital.

As the cruise begins, Jennifer, secretly engaged to her boyfriend, is ambivalent about breaking the news to her over-protective single father (Kurt Russell). It is not his disapproval or denial that she really fears because she is clearly a spirited young woman who will stand her ground.

"It's more that she's afraid of hurting her father by 'abandoning' him," explains Rossum. "She loves her father. He's always been there for her and now she's at a point in her life where she's fallen in love and wants to transfer her allegiance to the man she loves and she's really torn between the two of them.

"It's a challenge for everyone growing up to declare their independence and define who they are. The accident on board just accelerates the process," Rossum continues, noting that, "In a situation like this people's true colors are revealed and I think Jennifer emerges as a woman who is smart, courageous and loving."

Production tested Rossum's own courage and stamina beyond what she first expected. "I knew it would be physically and emotionally demanding just from reading the script," she says. "But I didn't realize the full extent of it until I was there. None of us did. Suddenly we were swimming 20 feet underwater in a tight corridor or sling-shotting across a three-story drop with just a harness and no safety net. It took a lot of courage, but I came to realize that fear is 85% mental. Once you conquer that, everything is easier."

Rossum started getting critical notices when director Clint Eastwood cast her as Sean Penn's daughter in the 2003 film "Mystic River." The following year, Rossum starred opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in Roland Emmerich's box office hit "The Day After Tomorrow."

She is perhaps best known for her performance as Christine in director Joel Schumacher's feature film adaptation of the stage phenomenon "The Phantom of the Opera." The musical's creator, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, personally selected Rossum, who was only 16 at the time, to star as the opera singer who becomes the object of the Phantom's obsession. Her performance earned Rossum a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy in 2004 and the National Board of Review's award for Best Female Breakthrough Performance of 2004.

Opening soon across the Philippines, "Poseidon" is distributed by Warner Bros., a Warner Entertainment Company.