(Photo: Courtesy of Emmy Rossum)

I was very specific about what I wanted to wear, even as a kid. I liked everything girlie and ruffly, and bows, and my mom always kept my hair short. I hated it—I wanted long, long, long hair.

I was very into John Starks and Patrick Ewing. I would write in my diary every day how the Knicks did that day, and if John Starks lost his temper or not, or if Patrick Ewing got a dunk. I went to a game a few weeks ago in New York, and I even got to meet John Starks. I’ve never been tongue-tied, ever, and it was the first time I’ve ever had heart palpitations. Mom was sitting in between me and John Starks: “Honey, he’s sitting right there, you should talk to him!” I was like, “Mom, I can’t! What am I going to say? I wrote about you in my journal when I was 7?”