Rose McGowan(I)
- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Rose McGowan is an American actress and director, known for her
contribution to independent film. Since the age of nineteen, she has
appeared in acclaimed films by Gregg Araki, Wes Craven, Brian De Palma,
Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. In 2014, her directorial debut
Dawn (2014) was nominated for the Short
Film Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Rose Arianna
McGowan was born on September 5, 1973 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy, to
American parents Terri and Daniel Patrick McGowan. She is the second
eldest of six siblings, and has Irish, French, and English ancestry. As
a young child, she was raised within the Italian chapter of the
Children of God. During the early 1980s, her family severed ties with
the community and migrated to Eugene, Oregon, USA. Following the
divorce of her parents, Rose relocated to Gig Harbor, Washington, to
live with her grandmother. At age 14, McGowan was accused of drug use
by a family friend and committed to rehabilitation. She has
consistently maintained the decision was unjustified. Upon release, she
spent a year without a home and was emancipated from her parents by the
age of 15. McGowan's career as an actor began with
The Doom Generation (1995).
Originally intended for Jordan Ladd, the
character of Amy Blue was, coincidentally, awarded to McGowan by an
associate of director Gregg Araki. For her
performance, she was nominated at the 1995 Independent Spirit Awards
for Best Debut Performance. Subsequently cast in
Wes Craven's
Scream (1996), she experienced further
success when the project defied expectations to become one of the
highest grossing films of the year. The innovative career of McGowan
was overshadowed throughout much of the 1990s by her high-profile
relationship with musician Brian Warner (aka
Marilyn Manson). Strong performances in
Going All the Way (1997),
Lewis & Clark & George (1997),
Southie (1998) and
Jawbreaker (1999) were largely unseen
by the general public. When the relationship ended between Rose and
Manson in 2001, she remarked: "There is great love, but our lifestyle
difference is, unfortunately, even greater". Rose continued to work
solidly, appearing in a string of soft-sounding studio and independent
films. Performances from this period included: a political activist in
Showtime's
The Killing Yard (2001),
a grifter in Roads to Riches (2002)
and a factory worker in "Stealing Bess" (aka
Vacuums (2003)). She was re-introduced to
the mainstream as Paige Matthews in
Aaron Spelling's
Charmed (1998), a popular television
series for which she devoted five consecutive years. When "Charmed"
finished its run in 2006, McGowan emerged in top form. Critics praised
her efforts in
Robert Rodriguez's
Planet Terror (2007), and
Quentin Tarantino's
Death Proof (2007). In several
interviews, McGowan has expressed a general apathy and disdain for
Hollywood. Despite this, her work ethic remains strong. Following her
recent marriage to LA-based artist Davey Detail, the actress has
resolved to purse further projects as a director.