A contract securing a salary increase was finalized one day after the media reports surfaced.
"I was shocked and, quite frankly, very, very surprised that we got it," said Rossum.
Rossum emphasized that her primary motivation during the standoff was workplace fairness rather than financial gain.
"I only desire to remain professional, and my focus is never on money; it's on what's fair and what's right, and I believe that people should be paid for their labor.
It was really about being valued equally when I was doing equal work," said Rossum.
The actress admitted she faced internal doubts during the process and occasionally considered dropping her demands due to her affection for the production.
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"There were also a lot of men on my team who were like, 'Let's get this. We are going to get this.
We are not going to go back unless we get this.' So it wasn't me saying, 'I want this,'" said Rossum.
Her representatives pushed back against her desire to concede during moments of anxiety.
"There were a lot of times where I felt scared and wanted to cave. I was like, 'Who cares?
I love this show. I love these people.
I want to do this,'" said Rossum.
The successful negotiation ultimately inspired other women outside the entertainment industry to advocate for better compensation.
"I was very, very happy when we got it, and very, very happy for what it seemingly did for other women," said Rossum.
