Biography for
Rose McGowan (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

5 September 1973, Florence, Tuscany, Italy

Birth Name

Rose Arianna McGowan

Height

5' 4" (1.63 m)

Mini Biography

Born September 5, 1973, to Terri and Daniel McGowan (both of French and Irish origin, respectively), Rose Arianna McGowan is the second eldest of six siblings. She was raised, until the age of nine, within the Italian chapter of the Children of God; an extremist Christian, anti-American cult.

During the early 1980s, her family severed ties with the community and migrated to Eugene, Oregon, USA. Following her parents divorce, Rose relocated to Gig Harbour, Washington, to live with her grandmother. At age 14, McGowan was falsely accused of drug abuse by a family friend and committed to drug rehabilitation. She has consistently maintained that the decision was unjustified, and detrimental to her mental health. Upon release, she spent a year as a disadvantaged youth before legally declaring independence from her family at age 15. Her early formal education includes attendance at Roosevelt High School and Nova Alternative High School. Further education includes a stint at UCLA, and qualifications as a licensed beauty operator.

McGowan's career as an actor sincerely began in 1995, with a leading role in The Doom Generation (1995). Originally intended for Jordan Ladd, the character of "Amy Blue" was awarded to McGowan, whose presence outside a gym captured the eye of an associate of director Gregg Araki. For her performance, she was nominated at the 1995 Independant Spirit Awards for Best Debut Performance. Subsequently cast in Wes Craven's Scream (1996/I), she experienced further success when the project defied expectations to became one of the highest grossing films of the year.

The innovative, yet soft-sounding, 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, who favored mean-spirited tabloid blurbs over her creative exploits. When the relationship ended between the two in 2001, she remarked: "There is great love, but our lifestyle difference is, unfortunately, even greater."

Immediately, the quality of McGowan's roles further improved. She performed solidly alongside Alan Alda in The Killing Yard (2001) (TV), shone with Robert Forster in Strange Hearts (2001), and was appropriately demure in "Stealing Bess" (aka Vacuums (2002)). She was introduced to the mainstream as "Paige Matthews" in Aaron Spelling's "Charmed" (1998), a popular television show 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), Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof (2007), and her turn as "Grace Sterrin" in Fifty Dead Men Walking (2008) exemplified her potential as a leading dramatic actress.

At the time of writing, McGowan and director Robert Rodriguez are due to be wed. Her upcoming projects include the fantasy epic Red Sonja (2010) .

IMDb Mini Biography By: A Rose by any other name & LibertySt

Trade Mark

Very light complexion.

Deep, sexy voice.

Dark, red lipstick

Trivia

Auditioned for the role of Lisa in Girl, Interrupted (1999). The part eventually went to Angelina Jolie

She won the role of Amy Blue in The Doom Generation (1995), after Jordan Ladd backed out.

Was engaged to Marilyn Manson. [1998-2001]

Modeled as a child.

Second oldest of six children.

She and Marilyn Manson announced that they were splitting up. [18 January 2001]

Told Howard Stern that she broke up with Marilyn Manson because she tired of the rock and roll lifestyle he engaged in. When pressed further, she admitted that drug use was a big part of that lifestyle. [October 2001]

A tattoo of a woman on her right shoulder has been surgically removed.

She knits, gardens, and collects shoes and Marlene Dietrich memorabilia.

The WB network announced that she would be playing Paige Matthews, the long-lost, baby half-sister of Prue, Piper and Phoebe on the hit series "Charmed" (1998). She was cast after Shannen Doherty, who played eldest sister Prue Halliwell, was fired when she refused to sign a two-year contract extension. [June 2001]

She won the role of Tatum Riley in Scream (1996/I) after Melinda Clarke turned it down. Coincidentally, the two would later work together when Clarke guest starred on "Charmed" (1998) in October 2002.

She attended high school with Nicole Berger

Bust 36C

Ranked #39 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World" (2002).

She ran away at age 9 to escape the Children of God cult that her parents were a part of. River Phoenix, Liberty Phoenix, Summer Phoenix, Rain Phoenix and Joaquin Phoenix were also child members of Children of God.

Absolutely hates fish

Has agoraphobia and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).

Has two Boston terriers named Bug and Fester.

Watched Viva Las Vegas (1964) many times in order to prepare for her role of Ann-Margret in the mini-series Elvis (2005) (TV)

She is of French and Irish descent.

Is the favorite actress of both Brian De Palma and Quentin Tarantino.

Legally emancipated herself from her parents at the age of 15.

Collaborated with musician BT on the song "Superfabulous", found on his 2003 CD, "Emotional Technology".

Her first language is Italian.

Ranked #44 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2007 list.

Met boyfriend Robert Rodriguez when he directed her in Planet Terror (2007).

Ranked #14 on Wizard magazine's 'Sexiest Women of TV' list (March 2008).

Broke her left foot after running into the edge of a doorway made of stone. [April 2008]

Engaged to Robert Rodriguez. [2008]

In the movie Rats (2003), the character Rose is based on the writer's experience with the actress Rose McGowan, and played by character actress Eileen Grubba.

Played the character "Tatum Riley" in Scream (1996/I), best friend of "Sidney Prescott" (Neve Campbell), her character "Paige Matthews" lives at 1329 Prescott Street, the address of Halliwell Manor on "Charmed" (1998).

Asked to have the stripper pole sanitized before doing her go-go dance routine in Planet Terror (2007).

While filming Scream (1996/I) she discovered that she could actually fit through a pet flap.

Her favorite color is green.

Personal Quotes

I think if I had lived back in Salem, I would have been burned at the stake

I am going to be pretty kick ass by the time I'm thirty, and I can't wait!!

You have to work to carve out your own little corner, and I'm certainly smacking my head against the wall trying to make a dent. I just hope I don't get brain-damaged before I get there.

Hollywood is all about making an entrance. I don't want to be a walking advertisement for anyone other than myself.

"I always thought I was more satanic than Manson" (Discussing the sinister reputation of her ex-fiancé Marilyn Manson).

I feel people have tried to stamp out what is special about me. Why should I downplay myself to make someone else more comfortable?

It's my job to spread deviance to the American youth.

I'm a pussycat unless you do something to one of my friends. Then I'll think of unique ways to get back at you. I'm more creative than your average bear.

When I lived in Europe, I was usually pretty exalted for the way I looked. I had minions who would run and get me candy...But when I moved to Oregon and entered my goth phase with spiky black hair, kids threw things at me.

I don't believe in rules. I would be happy to be climbing a pyramid when I'm 70. And I know I will be.

I want to live in Paris. I want to learn to ice-skate and to box. I want to get a degree in Egyptology. I would like to not have to say "Like, oh my God!" in any movies. I would like to have a day go by without people screaming various obscenities about body parts. I'd like to still have Bug and Fester, my Boston terriers. I think I'd like to be with my boyfriend, except (laughs) I'm pretty commitment-shy. I'd like to please my father, who used to be in the Children of God, and do at least one more "porno" film - which is what he called The Doom Generation. I'd like to start some sort of counselling program for girls - when I was that age I was always told that I was gonna burn in hell. I would like to lose the guilt I have for compulsive spending. I would like to stop being addicted to diet hot chocolate.

"I'm a fan of pink, I'm a fan of high-heeled shoes and I'm a fan of strange-looking dogs, so this hits all the notes for me" (At the Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003) premiere).

I don't really care how people view me particularly. It's not really any of my business because everyone is going to have their own opinion and if I started thinking about what everyone else thought of me, I'd go crazy.

I think women look better with a little more weight on them. Being super thin makes you look haggard.

Hollywood is all about making an entrance. I don't want to be a walking advertisement for anyone other than myself.

People thought (I was wild) because of who I was with (Manson). In reality I've been home baking cupcakes.

I've always admitted it: I'm a man with really nice breasts - I'm so guilty of doing every single male thing. Not calling, not showing up, leaving at four in the morning.

I still say I can do whatever I want as long as I'm not hurting anybody else. I don't understand why more people aren't like that.

If one person starts crying, I'll cry. If one person has no money, I'll give them mine. If I had a bicycle growing up, I always felt incredibly guilty when I see someone sitting at the bus stop.

I know I am kind and I have fun and if I sat there and worried about what everybody else thought of me my brain would be very crowded.

I imagine, had I grown up in Belfast, I would 100 per cent have been in the IRA. My heart just broke for the cause. Violence is not to be played out daily and provide an answer to problems, but I understand it.

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