1973-09-05 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.
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Sex on Screen | Self | 2023-02-28 |
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Body Parts | Self | 2022-06-12 |
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When We Speak | Self | 2022-11-02 |
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Letters Live from the Archive: International Women’s Day | Self | 2021-03-08 |
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Mothers of the Revolution | Herself | 2021-10-07 |
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Rose McGowan: Being Brave | Self | 2019-04-09 |
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QT8: The First Eight | Self (archive footage) | 2019-10-21 |
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This Changes Everything | Self | 2019-06-28 |
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Hollywood's Dark Secret | Self | 2019-07-09 |
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The Sound | Kelly Johansen | 2017-09-29 |
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The Caged Pillows | Monday | 2016-06-03 |
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The Tell-Tale Heart | Ariel | 2016-04-05 |
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The Weight of Blood and Bones | Madeline | 2015-06-19 |
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Doctor Lollipop | Dr. Coco / Red Riding Hood (voice) | 2013-09-03 |
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Mondo Taurobolium | Gale | 2013-12-02 |
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The Pastor's Wife | Mary Winkler | 2011-11-05 |
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Still Screaming: The Ultimate Scary Movie Retrospective | Self | 2011-04-14 |
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Conan the Barbarian | Marique | 2011-08-17 |
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Scream: The Inside Story | Self | 2011-04-06 |
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Rosewood Lane | Sonny Blake | 2011-10-15 |
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Dead Awake | Charlie | 2010-12-03 |
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Gaze | Self (archive footage) | 2010-07-13 |
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Fifty Dead Men Walking | Grace | 2008-09-10 |
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Planet Terror | Cherry Darling | 2007-04-06 |
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Death Proof | Pam | 2007-05-22 |
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Grindhouse | Pam (segment "Death Proof") / Cherry (segment "Planet Terror") | 2007-04-06 |
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The Black Dahlia | Sheryl Saddon | 2006-09-15 |
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Elvis | 2005-05-08 | |
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Stealing Bess | Debbie Dinsdale | 2003-01-01 |
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Strange Hearts | Moira Kennedy | 2002-10-23 |
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Monkeybone | Miss Kitty | 2001-02-23 |
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The Killing Yard | Linda Borus | 2001-09-23 |
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The Last Stop | Nancy | 2000-05-16 |
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Ready to Rumble | Sasha | 2000-04-07 |
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Sleeping Beauties | Sno Blo | 1999-06-10 |
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Jawbreaker | Courtney Shayne | 1999-01-30 |
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Phantoms | Lisa Pailey | 1998-01-23 |
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Southie | Kathy Quinn | 1998-06-10 |
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Devil in the Flesh | Debbie Strand | 1998-01-04 |
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Kiss & Tell | Jasmine Hoyle | 1997-10-17 |
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Nowhere | Val-Chick 3 | 1997-05-09 |
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Lewis & Clark & George | George | 1997-01-21 |
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Going All the Way | Gale Ann Thayer | 1997-09-19 |
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Bio-Dome | Denise | 1996-01-12 |
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Scream | Tatum Riley | 1996-12-20 |
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Seed | Miriam | 1996-01-01 |
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The Doom Generation | Amy Blue | 1995-10-27 |
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Encino Man | Nora | 1992-05-22 |
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Class of 1999 | Girl Outside Langford's Office (uncredited) | 1990-04-01 |
