Rose McGowan
0.9Acting

Rose McGowan

Sep 5, 1973 - Certaldo, Florence, Tuscany, Italy

Rósa Arianna McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is a filmmaker, activist and musician. Born in Italy, she was raised in the Children of God cult, before her American parents fled back to the USA when Rose was 10 amid concerns about the community.

Settling in Oregon, McGowan was bullied at school and rebelled against her family. At 15, she legally emancipated herself from her parents and lived in a squat with drag artists, before moving to Los Angeles to try her hand at acting. Commercials, extra work and a small part in 1992’s 'Encino Man' followed, but McGowan walked away from the industry, deciding to work in cosmetology instead.

In 1994, while standing outside of an LA gym with a moody demeanor, she was discovered by a casting director for Gregg Araki’s 'The Doom Generation', believing she’d be perfect for the role of Amy Blue, an apathetic gen-X femme fatale. Her performance became synonymous with 90s punk cool, and she was nominated for Best Debut Performance at the 1996 Independent Spirit Awards.

Landing an agent, McGowan quickly found further roles, among them parts in the slasher hit 'Scream' and cult indies including 'Jawbreaker', 'Going All the Way', and 'Devil in the Flesh'. With her pale white skin and blood-red lipstick, along with a relationship with controversial rock star Marilyn Manson, McGowan was promoted as a bad girl sex symbol for the 1990s, but began to struggle finding mainstream success.

On advice from her management, McGowan joined the cast of the fantasy drama 'Charmed' in its fourth season, replacing the departed Shannen Doherty as one third of a trio of sister witches. After five seasons on the series, McGowan returned to film with roles in Brian De Palma’s 'The Black Dahlia' and the Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez double bill 'Grindhouse'.

While 'Grindhouse' garnered McGowan international attention, particularly for her role as a go-go dancer with a machine gun for a leg, it was an unhappy period in her personal life. A relationship with Rodriguez imploded, a car accident forced her to undergo extensive reconstructive surgery, and her father died.

In 2015, McGowan announced that she was walking away from acting to explore other ventures, due to her own traumatic experiences in the industry and her frustration with the quality of work promoted by Hollywood.

Her filmmaking debut, the short film 'Dawn', premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews, and in the same year she released her debut single — an atmospheric slice of electronica called RM486. She has since become a prominent activist across social media, launching her own feminist movement known as Rose Army, and continues to work as an artist, filmmaker and musician.

In 2016 Rose was involved in a sex scandal when multiple sex tapes and nude images were leaked online for the world to see as well as exposing her love for recreational drugs. Some seem to think she leaked the tapes and photos herself for more public exposure and others believe it to be the evils of Hollywood who might be outraged by the fact Rose has spoke out against them.

Credits

Cast

Media
Movie2007Death ProofPam
Movie2007Planet TerrorCherry Darling
Movie1996ScreamTatum Riley
Movie2000Ready to RumbleSasha
Movie2021Mothers of the RevolutionHerself
Movie2001MonkeyboneMiss Kitty
Movie2022Body PartsSelf
Movie2023Sex on ScreenSelf
Movie1998PhantomsLisa Pailey
Movie2011Scream: The Inside StorySelf
Movie1995The Doom GenerationAmy Blue
Movie2011Conan the BarbarianMarique
Movie2002Strange HeartsMoira Kennedy
Movie1998Devil in the FleshDebbie Strand
Movie2008Fifty Dead Men WalkingGrace
Movie1999JawbreakerCourtney Shayne
Movie2010Dead AwakeCharlie
Movie1998SouthieKathy Quinn
Movie2000The Last StopNancy
Movie2011Rosewood LaneSonny Blake
Movie2011The Pastor's WifeMary Winkler
Movie1997Going All the WayGale Ann Thayer
Movie2019Hollywood's Dark SecretSelf
Movie1992Encino ManNora
Movie1997Lewis & Clark & GeorgeGeorge
Movie2022When We SpeakSelf
Movie2006The Black DahliaSheryl Saddon
Movie2007GrindhousePam (segment "Death Proof") / Cherry (segment "Planet Terror")
Movie2019QT8: The First EightSelf (archive footage)
Movie1997NowhereVal-Chick 3
Movie1997Kiss & TellJasmine Hoyle
Movie1996Bio-DomeDenise
Movie2001The Killing YardLinda Borus
Movie2003Stealing BessDebbie Dinsdale
Movie2015The Weight of Blood and BonesMadeline
Movie2016The Tell-Tale HeartAriel
Movie2016The Caged PillowsMonday
Movie2017The SoundKelly Johansen
Movie2019This Changes EverythingSelf
Movie1999Sleeping BeautiesSno Blo
Movie2019Rose McGowan: Being BraveSelf
Movie2010GazeSelf (archive footage)
Movie1996SeedMiriam
Movie1990Class of 1999Girl Outside Langford's Office (uncredited)
Movie2011Still Screaming: The Ultimate Scary Movie RetrospectiveSelf
Movie2013Mondo TauroboliumGale
Movie2021Letters Live from the Archive: International Women’s DaySelf
Movie2012Doctor LollipopDr. Coco / Red Riding Hood (voice)
Movie2005ElvisAnn-Margret
TV Show1988LIVE with Kelly and MarkSelf - Guest1
TV Show2003Punk'dSelf1
TV Show1998CharmedPaige Matthews112
TV Show1979Question TimeSelf - Panellist1
TV Show1992The Tonight Show with Jay LenoSelf1
TV Show1999The Early ShowSelf1
TV Show2020The New York Times PresentsSelf (archive footage)1
TV Show1990True ColorsSuzanne1
TV Show1993Intimate PortraitSelf1
TV Show1997The ViewSelf1
TV Show2005ElvisAnn-Margret2
TV Show2001Good Day LiveSelf1
TV Show2021This Is PopSelf (archive footage)1
TV Show2011Once Upon a TimeYoung Cora2
TV Show2013ChosenJosie Acosta6
TV Show2016ChelseaSelf1
TV Show2002Through the Night with...Self1
TV Show2018Citizen RoseHerself4
TV Show2009Watch What Happens Live with Andy CohenSelf - Guest1
TV Show2006Scream AwardsHerself - Host1
TV Show2009RuPaul's Drag RaceSelf - Guest Judge1
TV Show1999Law & Order: Special Victims UnitCassandra Davina1
TV Show2003Nip/TuckDr. Teddy Rowe5

Crew

Media
Movie2015DawnDirectorDirecting
Movie2007GrindhousePresenterCrew
MovieN/ASleepwalkDirectorDirecting
TV Show2018Citizen RoseExecutive ProducerProduction
TV Show2018Citizen RoseMusicSound
TV Show2018Citizen RoseCreatorCreator