Rossum had a breakthrough role as Laura Chapman in the Roland Emmerich eco-disaster film "The Day After Tomorrow" (2004). She later returned to New York, where she was the last to audition, in full costume and make-up, for the role of Christine Daaé in "The Phantom of the Opera" (2004), the onscreen adaptation of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of the same name. After having nearly missed the audition due to a family engagement, Rossum was asked to audition in person for Webber at his home in New York. For her performance, Rossum received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a musical or comedy. She also received a Critics' Choice Award for Best Young Actress, along with a Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.