About

Known credits:
58
Birthday:
1973-09-05
Place of birth:
Florence, Tuscany, Italy
Website:
N/A

Rose McGowan

Overview

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.

Known for

Acting

2023 Sex on Screen Actor Self N/A
N/A
2022 When We Speak Actor Self 59
Average
2022 Body Parts Actor Self 59
Average
2021 Mothers of the Revolution Actor Herself 59
Average
2021 Letters Live from the Archive: International Women’s Day Actor Self 59
Average
2019 QT8: The First Eight Actor Self (archive footage) 61
Fair
2019 Hollywood's Dark Secret Actor Self N/A
N/A
2019 This Changes Everything Actor Self 59
Average
2019 Rose McGowan: Being Brave Actor Self N/A
N/A
2018 Citizen Rose Actor Herself 70
Good
2017 The Sound Actor Kelly Johansen 57
Average
2016 The Caged Pillows Actor Monday 59
Average
2016 The Tell-Tale Heart Actor Ariel 58
Average
2015 The Weight of Blood and Bones Actor Madeline N/A
N/A
2013 Mondo Taurobolium Actor Gale N/A
N/A
2013 Doctor Lollipop Actor Dr. Coco / Red Riding Hood (voice) 59
Average
2013 Chosen Actor Josie Acosta 68
Fair
2011 The Pastor's Wife Actor Mary Winkler 59
Average
2011 Rosewood Lane Actor Sonny Blake 57
Average
2011 Conan the Barbarian Actor Marique 54
Average
2011 Still Screaming: The Ultimate Scary Movie Retrospective Actor Self 59
Average
2011 Scream: The Inside Story Actor Self 59
Average
2010 Dead Awake Actor Charlie 58
Average
2010 Gaze Actor Self (archive footage) 59
Average
2008 Fifty Dead Men Walking Actor Grace 60
Fair
2007 Death Proof Actor Pam 67
Fair
2007 Planet Terror Actor Cherry Darling 65
Fair
2007 Grindhouse Actor Pam (segment "Death Proof") / Cherry (segment "Planet Terror") 67
Fair
2006 The Black Dahlia Actor Sheryl Saddon 56
Average
2005 Elvis Actor 59
Average
2005 Elvis Actor Ann-Margret 67
Fair
2003 Stealing Bess Actor Debbie Dinsdale 58
Average
2002 Strange Hearts Actor Moira Kennedy 58
Average
2001 The Killing Yard Actor Linda Borus 59
Average
2001 Monkeybone Actor Miss Kitty 55
Average
2000 The Last Stop Actor Nancy 58
Average
2000 Ready to Rumble Actor Sasha 57
Average
1999 Sleeping Beauties Actor Sno Blo 58
Average
1999 Jawbreaker Actor Courtney Shayne 60
Fair
1998 Charmed Actor Paige Matthews 81
Very good
1998 Southie Actor Kathy Quinn 58
Average
1998 Phantoms Actor Lisa Pailey 57
Average
1998 Devil in the Flesh Actor Debbie Strand 58
Average
1997 Kiss & Tell Actor Jasmine Hoyle 58
Average
1997 Going All the Way Actor Gale Ann Thayer 58
Average
1997 Nowhere Actor Val-Chick 3 61
Fair
1997 Lewis & Clark & George Actor George 58
Average
1996 Scream Actor Tatum Riley 73
Good
1996 Bio-Dome Actor Denise 53
Average
1996 Seed Actor Miriam N/A
N/A
1995 The Doom Generation Actor Amy Blue 60
Fair
1992 Encino Man Actor Nora 58
Average
1990 Class of 1999 Actor Girl Outside Langford's Office (uncredited) 59
Average

Directing

2015 Dawn Directing Director 59
Average
Sleepwalk Directing Director N/A
N/A

Production

2018 Citizen Rose Production Executive Producer 70
Good

Sound

2018 Citizen Rose Sound Music 70
Good

Crew

2007 Grindhouse Crew Presenter 67
Fair