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Actor · Acting

Rose McGowan

Born 1973-09-05
📍 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.

Filmography 70

Sex on Screen
as Self
2023
When We Speak
as Self
2022
Body Parts
as Self
2022
Mothers of the Revolution
as Self
2021
Tucker Carlson Today
as Self - Guest
2021
Letters Live from the Archive: International Women’s Day
as Self
2021
This Is Pop
as Self (archive footage)
2021
The New York Times Presents
as Self (archive footage)
2020
This Changes Everything
as Self
2019
Hollywood's Dark Secret
as Self
2019
Rose McGowan: Being Brave
as Self
2019
Citizen Rose
as Herself
2018
The Sound
as Kelly Johansen
2017
Chelsea
as Self
2016
The Tell-Tale Heart
as Ariel
2016
The Weight of Blood and Bones
as Madeline
2015
Mondo Taurobolium
as Gale
2013
Chosen
as Josie Acosta
2013
Doctor Lollipop
as Dr. Coco / Red Riding Hood (voice)
2012
The Pastor's Wife
as Mary Winkler
2011
Once Upon a Time
as Young Cora
2011
Rosewood Lane
as Sonny Blake
2011
Conan the Barbarian
as Marique
2011
Still Screaming: The Ultimate Scary Movie Retrospective
as Self
2011
Scream: The Inside Story
as Self
2011
Dead Awake
as Charlie
2010
Gaze
as Self (archive footage)
2010
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
as Self - Guest
2009
RuPaul's Drag Race
as Self - Guest Judge
2009
Fifty Dead Men Walking
as Grace
2008
Death Proof
as Pam
2007
Planet Terror
as Cherry Darling
2007
Grindhouse
as Pam (segment "Death Proof") / Cherry (segment "Planet Terror")
2007
Scream Awards
as Self - Host
2006
The Black Dahlia
as Sheryl Saddon
2006
Elvis
as Ann-Margret
2005
Nip/Tuck
as Dr. Teddy Rowe
2003
Punk'd
as Self
2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
as Self
2003
Stealing Bess
as Debbie Dinsdale
2003
Strange Hearts
as Moira Kennedy
2002
Through the Night with...
as Self
2002
The Killing Yard
as Linda Borus
2001
Monkeybone
as Miss Kitty
2001
The Last Stop
as Nancy
2000
Ready to Rumble
as Sasha
2000
The Early Show
as Self
1999
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
as Cassandra Davina
1999
Sleeping Beauties
as Sno Blo
1999
Jawbreaker
as Courtney Shayne
1999
Charmed
as Paige Matthews
1998
Southie
as Kathy Quinn
1998
Phantoms
as Lisa Pailey
1998
Devil in the Flesh
as Debbie Strand
1998
Kiss & Tell
as Jasmine Hoyle
1997
Going All the Way
as Gale Ann Thayer
1997
The View
as Self
1997
Nowhere
as Val-Chick 3
1997
Lewis & Clark & George
as George
1997
Scream
as Tatum Riley
1996
Bio-Dome
as Denise
1996
Seed
as Miriam
1996
The Doom Generation
as Amy Blue
1995
Intimate Portrait
as Self
1993
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
as Self
1992
Encino Man
as Nora
1992
True Colors
as Suzanne
1990
Class of 1999
as Girl Outside Langford's Office (uncredited)
1990
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
as Self - Guest
1988
Question Time
as Self - Panellist
1979