ighteen-year-old Emmy Rossum is living proof that dreams can come true. She first stepped into the spotlight as Sean Penn's daughter in Mystic River, then had an attention-grabbing role as Jake Gyllenhaal's love interest in The Day After Tomorrow. Now, the stunning actress is set for serious stardom. Audiences will soon see her in the big-screen adaptation of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage musical The Phantom of the Opera.

  Emmy's first love was singing. At the age of seven she was accepted into the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, where she worked until she was 12. At that point she had to leave because she grew too tall for the children's costumes.

  Just five years later, she was offered the chance to star in Phantom. "In many ways it was like coming full circle for me, because when I was little I never really wanted to be an actress," Emmy recalls. "I kind of fell into this and it has now become sucha passion of mine. I did always want to be an opera singer but when I became an actress-and when Phantom presented itself-it was kind of a way to fulfillmy earlier dreams of becoming an opera singer."

  In The Phantom, Emmy will take centre stage as Christine Daae. She's one of the film's leads, and the object of affection for two men: the Phantom (Gerard Butler) and a young suitor named Raoul (Patrick Wilson). It's the role of a lifetime, and one that almost passed her by. Emmy was one of the last girls interviewed by director Joel Schumacher, and it was a meeting she almost missed because of a family reunion. The second Schumacher saw her, he knew he'd found his Christine.

  "She came to that screen test and was so beautiful," said Schumacher during a recent interview. "She sang 'Think of Me' (from The Phantom) and was enchanting.  I knew I had to present her to Sir Andrew before we made anything official, but as far as I was concerned, she had the role."

  Emmy remembers the audition as simply magical. "I went to the screen test, sang in full costume and I had my hair and makeup done, as well," she says. "There was even a set constructed for the audition. It was incredible. Then, about a week later I went to sing for Andrew Lloyd Webber at his house in London. I was very passionate about the role and I knew it was such an amazing opportunity. I didn't think I'd actually get the part, but I did."

  It seems her hard work is paying off. Early buzz on Emmy's performance in the film is nothing short of a rave. The actress-who took singing lessons all over again to prepare for the demanding musical numbers-is ecstatic about this opportunity so early in her career.

  "I still can't believe this is really happening. Joel was a dream to work with. He had such a passion for the material and the music and he was so patient," says Emmy. "I'll never forget this experience as long as I live."

- Bonnie Laufer-Krebs